A Dragon's Tail - Life as a Fairy Tail wizard
by Eternal Escapist
Summary: Everything fell apart for Natsu the day Igneel abandoned him. He lost his family, his home, his whole life. And so, he sets out on an adventure to reclaim it. Join our beloved pyromaniac and the gang in their everyday adventures as Natsu tries to find his father. Will Natsu find Igneel, or will he find something else along the way? [Natsu X Harem]
1. Chapter 1

**Well hi. First of all, I'd like to say thanks for clicking on my fanfic. This is the first time I've tried writing one of these, so I hope you enjoy it.**

**I'm going to try and stick to canon events as well as add my own twists and maybe even a few of my own mini-arcs too. I'd like to try and flesh out some of the characters a bit more and give them some new abilities and stuff, so there should be some interesting stuff. **

**I should also note that the beginning of this in particular is somewhat influenced by another fanfic I read by JTZ29 called "****Natsu Dragneel the Dual Dragon Slayer**". **If you haven't read it already, go check it out, it's good stuff.**

**Basically, Natsu will have Fire and Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic from early on and I'll be introducing a few characters earlier than normal too.**

**I also have plans to add a harem later on, though I'm no quite sure of who to include yet. I might just end up putting a poll up or something, so stay tuned.**

**Edit (25/04/2019): I currently have a poll to vote on Natsu's harem and another for side pairings. I'll be leaving both of them up for a long while yet, to keep an eye on people's interest in each character and see how people like my portrayal of said characters too. I also have a link on my profile to a forum that I made that contains all of my active polls.**

**This chapter is a little short, as it was my first chapter and was more of a taster for what the story will be like. The chapters do get a lot lengthier later on though.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this barren heart of mine  
So cold and empty without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

-July 12th, X777-

"...Where are you?"

His quiet whisper was barely distinguishable over the storm that ravaged this stretch of woodland. There was not a single soul to be seen; neither man nor beast was daring enough to brave this weather. Gusts of wind strong enough to fell trees swept through the woods, as the heavy raindrops pounded out a drum-like rhythm. In the distance, the deep rumbling of thunder could be faintly heard.

Anyone with a shred of common sense would have taken shelter long ago. However, for the young boy, safety was of the least concern. He wandered aimlessly, barely conscious nor aware of his surroundings. He continued on, shuffling his feet and barely able to stand, but determined to carry on until his search was concluded.

The object of his search still eluded him, while hopelessness and fatigue steadily crept in. Under any other circumstances, he would have gone home long ago. 'Home', he thought... a word that normally would have brought him a great feeling of contentment and warmth, but now filled him with nothing but emptiness. There was no home for him now, he felt. Not since _he_ left.

"Igneel..." He whispered hoarsely. "Where did you go?"

* * *

The child woke up just as the sun crested the horizon. He wasn't normally one to rise early, but he had had a restless night and he couldn't have slept any longer even if he had wanted to. The seemingly unending storm had continued on until the early hours of the morning and the boy had been forced to call off his search yet again, before crawling under a fallen tree to rest for the night. Sleep did not come easily- the rain had soaked him to the bone and the howling wind sought to steal what little warmth he had. He knew, however, that he would not freeze that night, nor any other night for that matter. As long as the fire within his soul kept burning, the coldest nights could not take his life away from him.

Still groggy from lack of sleep, he rubbed his eyes clumsily before jumping to his feet. Already, he was eager to set off and resume his search, yet for some reason, he hesitated. It was unusual for him to not charge headlong into a situation. But in an _extremely_ unusual manner, he decided to instead sit and think. Now, it's not as if he was averse to thinking, but his manner of thinking was rather rash. He would use what he knew about a situation and then make a quick decision, before following through with it. If the situation changed, he'd adapt his plan on the fly.

So far, this method of thinking had worked pretty well for him. However, it clearly wasn't what was needed in these circumstances. So this time, he would have to rely on calm, rational deliberation- something that was highly uncharacteristic for him.

He pondered for a moment on the best course of action. He had spent several days searching the forest for Igneel and it had proven to be a fruitless endeavour. These woods were simply too vast and too wild for any one person to search alone. You could search for a lifetime and not find what you were looking for. He also had no idea if Igneel was even in this forest. He could be literally anywhere by now.

What about asking for help? That wasn't much of an option. Who would help an orphan boy search through the woods? Besides, the boy hadn't so much as seen another human for as long as he could remember.

Then the boy had an idea. It was drastic and far-fetched, but try as he might, he couldn't think of a better option. Time to analyse the plan then.

What's the probability of success?

-Slim to none, but it's more likely to work than any other plan he could think of.

What supplies are required?

-Everything... there is no reason to return here and they will all be needed.

More importantly... does this young boy have what it takes?

-He had better hope so.

Having come to a resolution, he paused just long enough to rummage through his meagre supplies and withdraw some unidentifiable meat, which he heartily scoffed down. With his hunger temporarily sated, he stood up and set forth on the next part of his adventure.

* * *

**And that's it for chapter 1. I was planning on writing much more to be honest, because I had a plan of what I wanted to write for the first chapter and was determined to get it out in one go. But then I ended up with about 1500 words and I wasn't even half done, so I knew I'd have to write 2 or 3 chapters instead.**

**Edit: (Oh boy... did I really think that 1500 words was a lot? If only I'd known how long some of the later chapters would end up.)**

**Anyway, chapter 2 should be ready soon, as I'm probably most of the way through writing it already. Hope to see you guys soon, ciao.**


	2. Chapter 2 - First encounters

**Ok, so I managed to finish chapter 2 faster than I had expected... that's neat. It's also twice as long as chapter 1 was. I'll try to work on keeping future chapters more-or-less the same length, so I'll hope you'll bear with me until I get into the swing of things.**

**I'd also like to say thank you to the people who've chosen to like this story and leave reviews, even in this early stage. It really means a lot and now I'm all fired up to write some more. _(I'm sorry, I had to slip that catchphrase in there.)_**

**Anyway, enough sappy stuff. On with the chapter!**

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this barren heart of mine  
So cold and empty without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

The boy's new plan was simple in theory but tricky in practice. Finding Igneel on his own was an impossible task and even if he had several hundred others searching with him, luck would have to be on his side if he wanted to find Igneel before old age set in. No, one set of eyes wasn't enough, nor even a thousand... but several million might be enough.

Despite living in isolation with Igneel for several years, the boy was not totally ignorant of the wider world. Igneel had taught him many things about the land he was living in, which had only made him realize that the world was a very big place. This land was part of the Kingdom of Fiore, which had a population of seventeen million. The idea of so many people living in one place boggled his mind and try as he might, he couldn't understand Igneel's lessons about human politics.

As confusing as it was though, it granted him an opportunity- one which he planned to exploit to the best of his ability.

While people might not be willing to actively participate in his search, they may still help him indirectly. As a general rule, when people encounter something out of the ordinary, they tend not to keep quiet about it. In fact, they will often do the exact opposite and tell as many people as they can. It's almost a guarantee that anyone who saw Igneel would shout about it from the rooftops. After all, it's not every day that you see a dragon in the flesh.

Yes... Igneel is a dragon. Not much more to say there, so moving on.

Anyway, rumours spread like wildfire, as you might say- and fire was something that the young lad was intimately familiar with. All he had to do was be in the right place at the right time and keep his ear to the ground. Because as soon as Igneel was spotted, the rumours would spread and eventually they would reach the boy's ears. It was just a matter of time.

However, rumours of Igneel's whereabouts would be of no use to the boy if he was not there to hear them. For the time being, he needed to find a highly-populated town in which to settle down in. However, it could take him several days or even weeks to find such a place.

With this in mind, the boy wanted to waste no time in setting off. Igneel had once told him about a small human settlement not too far away. Despite the fact that he had wandered around aimlessly for several days, the boy was still confident that he could find his way there. Shielding his eyes, he took note of the position of the sun to orient himself, before marching off with a determined stride.

* * *

After a few days, the landscape started to change. The previously flat terrain had turned into a gentle downward slope and the older, more established trees had given away to younger trees and saplings. The further the boy walked, the more he saw signs that people had once passed through here. Broken snares, abandoned campsites, the odd footprint or pathway- all indications of hunters or travellers who visited this stretch of woodland.

Feeling that he was finally on the right track, the boy grinned wryly- it was good to know that all the walking he had done over the last few days hadn't been for nothing. As eager as he was to follow the 'trail' though, the light was beginning to fade and finding his way was getting more and more difficult. It was time for him to make camp for the night.

The boy moved as if to take off his backpack, but froze halfway. It's not that he had changed his mind about spending the night here- this was actually quite a decent camping spot. There was enough space for him to build a fire, but at the same time, the trees were also dense enough to shield him from the elements.

It wasn't because he changed his mind.

It was because he sensed _something._

Something that wasn't right.

Suddenly, his light-hearted demeanour was gone, replaced instead with a cold and rigid intensity. He brought all of his senses to bear, desperately trying to grasp what was out of place. What was causing this feeling of unease within him? His instincts were screaming at him to take action, but he suppressed the primitive urges and focused.

What was that he was hearing?

Voices. They weren't raised in anger but instead laced with unpleasantness.

The air was eerily still and the normally vocal birds and insects of the forest were oddly silent. Perhaps they could also feel the tension, or smell the smoke in the air. Now, the boy couldn't say for certain, but in his opinion, all of this pointed to one thing:

Imminent combat.

Like a shadow, he crept towards the voices, taking care to avoid making any noises that would draw attention to himself. While most people would have trouble moving quietly in this semi-darkness, the boy had exceptionally sharp eyes and incredibly good night-vision. He was also blessed with great balance and coordination and so, was able to move almost silently under most circumstances.

He took extra care crossing the last stretch of distance, making sure to hide behind a bush that would conceal him, while letting him see through.

Through the gaps in the leaves, he could see a small clearing with a small campfire in the very centre. On one side stood four rough-looking men and on the other stood two children, one boy and one girl, both with blue hair. The boy stood opposite the four men defensively. In his hands, he clutched a staff almost as long as he was tall.

Though he wasn't sure what gave him this impression, he had a feeling that the two children had been camping here, when the four men had stumbled upon their campsite and approached them.

"Come on little man, we're not asking for much. All you need to do is hand over everything you have and then you won't get hurt," the middle thug proclaimed coercively.

"That's an interesting proposal. However, I think it would be much better for you if you just left", replied the blue-haired boy nonchalantly. Despite his laid-back response, he held his weapon ready.

"Aw, don't be like that boy. Didn't your parents ever teach you about the importance of sharing and charity? I mean look at us!" the thug said, gesturing to the men with him. "Don't you have any pity for those less fortunate than you? Can you really blame us for just trying to survive?"

"Surviving is one thing, but preying on others and taking what they have is wrong under any circumstances," said the boy solemnly. "If you want something, you should work hard to make it a reality, just as I have worked for what I have. I won't give you anything."

"Please Jellal, just do as they say!" the girl cried desperately. "I don't want you to get hurt."

The boy glanced at her briefly and his face seemed to soften slightly at her words. It was clear that he was quite fond of her.

"You should listen to the girl- Jellal, was it? If you care about your life- or hers for that matter- you should just hand over your stuff," cackled the thug with a sneer.

Jellel didn't bother to reply. Instead, he simply turned towards his face towards the girl and spoke.

"Wendy... sometimes you have no choice but to back down and let your enemies win. But this is not one of those times. Sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in. I will not let these thieves steal from us and have you go cold and hungry.

I will deal with them. Go and wait for me somewhere safe... I will be finished here soon."

The girl sobbed, but after only a brief hesitation, she took flight and fled into the trees.

The moment she left, the atmosphere changed yet again. The thugs, who had moments ago looked almost relaxed, suddenly straightened up. They had been throwing their weight around before, but now they were gearing up for a fight.

"Big mistake, kid," the thug growled. "What happens next is on your own head."

And with those words, they advanced on Jellal.

* * *

**And that's it for chapter 2. Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger, but it was just a super-convenient place to leave it off before the chapter got too long.**

**Hopefully chapter 3 will be out soon, though it might take a bit longer. I'd already written half of chapter 2 by the time I submitted the 1st chapter, so that made it a bit quicker, whereas now I need to write all of chapter 3. Fortunately, I have a good idea of how to write the next segment, so it shouldn't take too long.**

**Anyway, I'll see you guys again soon, byeee.**


	3. Chapter 3 - A Marvellous Introduction

**Ok, so it took a little longer than I would have liked, but here's chapter 3. It's more or less the same length of Chapter 2 at least so hopefully this is ok.**  
**Would you guys prefer I write short or long chapters? Shorter chapters are of course easier to write and I can release them more often, while longer chapters will take longer but give you something a little more substantial to read. Feel free to drop a review or PM me to let me know.**

**I have also realized it would probably be a good idea to get a cover image for this story so that I don't just have a generic blank image to represent it. I am however hesitant to just grab something off Google because ****one of the terms for using a cover image is that "you must have the required permission and rights to use the image that you upload."**  
**If anyone knows about this sort of thing, please let me know where I can maybe find something suitable.**

**Anyway, on with the chapter.**

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this barren heart of mine  
So cold and empty without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

The thugs started to close in on Jellal, laughing sadistically as they did. Two of them circled around the fire to the left, while the other two went right, trapping the young man in a pincer manoeuvre.

With an air of calm, Jellal stood firm. His eyes flicked between the two pairs of thugs, waiting to see who'd strike first. His right foot slid back and to the right slightly, widening his stance. He looked ready and competent to boot and maybe that made the thugs hesitate for a moment... but he was trembling ever so slightly and he gripped his staff tight enough to cut off the circulation in his fingers. It was clear that he was out of his depth- capable or not, he was a young adolescent facing down four grown men.

Well, this wouldn't do. The boy didn't care about Jellal in any way, but just sitting back and letting this happen wasn't right. Besides, that little girl Wendy was depending on him. So he had to do something. The question is _what_?

He could just fight.  
Except that it would be a waste of energy and he'd have to deal with the thugs' unconscious bodies afterwards. A good fight was always fun, but cleaning up afterwards? Less so.

No, there was a much more entertaining option that would prove to be just as effective for defusing the situation.

Of all the things that Igneel had taught the boy, there was one thing that stood out among the rest- it was a skill that he had taken to like a fish took to water, something that now came to him as naturally as breathing.  
And that was how to use _Magic_.

He shifted his gaze away from Jellal, to the centre of the encampment, where the campfire cheerfully blazed away.  
He gazed into the fire intently and as he did so, everything around him slowed to a crawl.  
In a trance-like state, everything around him started to fade away, until only the flickering flames remained. When the flames filled his mind, he called out to them.  
And the flames answered.

All Jellal and the thugs saw was a fiery streak as the flames leapt from the campfire into the bushes, before disappearing completely. That was a strange enough sight in itself, but it is worth mentioning that the sun had set some time ago and the small campfire had been the only source of light within the clearing.  
And therefore, the area was plunged into complete and utter darkness.

Everyone froze in their tracks, unable to grasp what had just happened. Having grown accustomed to the light of the fire, the sudden change had left them almost blind. Disoriented and confused, they found themselves praying desperately for a new source of light to break the darkness. Their prayers were answered, but not in the way that they had hoped.

Out of the shadows, stepped a creature out of a nightmare. Cloaked in shadow, the beast was illuminated only by the flames that danced across its body. Its eyes, which burned like smouldering coals, swept across the scene, before settling on the four brutes.  
They froze in terror, like rabbits pinned by the gaze of a wolf. The monster continued to stare them down for a moment, then opened it's maw wide and boomed:

**"Evildoers, you trespass on sacred land. You come here to this holy place to perform your wrongdoings. Your actions here will not be tolerated."**

The thugs merely cowered in fear, cowed into submission by this incarnation of hell.  
Enraged by the lack of response, the beast bellowed wildly. Flames erupted from its mouth and engulfed its entire head, after which it roared:

**"Leave now while you have the chance. I shall give you three seconds to get out of my sight. If you return, you shall face my wrath!"**

Finally shocked out of their stupor, they bolted as fast as they could in the opposite direction. The monster simply watched them leave and for a moment, it seemed that it would simply let them leave in peace.  
However, before the three seconds were even up, the monster roared once again, spewing a liquid-like fire out of its mouth that arced towards the retreating thugs. Their panicked flight became even more desperate, as they dodged the attacks. One of them yelped and cursed profusely as the flames landed at his heels and licked at his clothes, almost setting him alight.  
Apparently, their fear of being incinerated lent them extra speed, as they very quickly disappeared from sight.

For a moment, everything was silent. Then the flames started to fade away, revealing a very amused pink-haired boy. He chuckled quietly, glad that he had been given the opportunity to let off some steam. Now, time to get back to setting up camp for-

CRACK!

His vision went white for a second as blinding pain crashed over him like a wave.  
"Argh! What the hell?!" he cried, clutching the back of his head with one hand.  
Realizing he was on the ground, he looked up to see Jellal looming over him, brandishing his staff. Still dazed, it took him a second to connect the dots.

He leapt to his feet, already screaming. "Hey! What the hell did you do that for?"

Outraged, he marched towards Jellal, who had retreated a short distance following his surprise attack. Just as he was getting near to Jellal, the blue-haired boy levelled his staff and aiming the point just between his eyes.

"Keep your distance, demon," Jellal commanded frostily.

"Do I look like a goddamn demon to you?!"

"Frankly? Yes. And I believe those four men you just sent running for the hills feel the same way," retorted Jellal. "While you have my thanks for dealing with those men, you are an even bigger threat. Nothing personal, but I'll have to deal with _you_ now."

With those words, he took a step forward and prepared to deliver another strike. As he was not eager to take another hit, the boy understandably dodged backwards out of reach.

"Stop it! Is this really how you treat people who help you?"

"This is how I treat monsters who are a threat to me and my friends. Now do us both a favour and stay still so I can finish you off quickly."

The ensuing 'fight' was more like a game of cat and mouse. Jellal repeatedly tried to strike the pink-haired boy, who dodged each and every strike. This carried on for some time, but eventually, the boy's annoyance started to turn to anger. After dodging Jellal's staff for who knows how many times, he decided he'd had enough. Suddenly he stood firm, prepared to knock Jellal out if need be. He raised one fist, which spontaneously burst into flame.

"You really want a fight? Then I'll give you one!" he shouted.

"You won't be much of a challenge, monster!" Jellal retorted.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes.  
Instantly, both boys leapt apart, their eyes fixated on the bushes. Had the goons finally returned? Or was this some other threat?

Both boys tensed up, ready to fight whatever this thing was.  
Then the bushes burst open and out stumbled a dishevelled-looking Wendy, who ran towards Jellal, shouting something as she did so.

"Don't do it Jellal! He's-"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off suddenly. In her haste, she tripped over a rock and faceplanted into the ground with a little squeak.

"Wendy!" Jellal cried out, rushing to her side. He knelt next to her, checking her over for injuries.

"It's ok, Jellal." She said with a smile, looking up at him. She stood up with Jellal's help and looked over at the pink-haired boy with a look of awe.

"He isn't a demon," she continued. "He's a Dragonslayer."

The boy looked at her with an expression of surprise on his face. Then he grinned wryly.

"You're right. I _am_ a Dragonslayer."

* * *

**And that's it for Chapter 3. I was planning on writing a little more, but I thought it was just more important to get the chapter out quickly.**  
**Thankfully, I have a good idea of what to include in the next chapter, so it should be out soon. Stay tuned.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Party of Three

**Ok, so I somehow managed to deal with my short attention span and focus long enough to write out... quite a lengthy bit of text here. And by that, I mean it's twice as long as any of my other chapters so far.**

**That said, it's not as fast-paced as the previous chapters, but hopefully you'll still enjoy it anyway. There should be a lot more going on in the next chapter or two, so be prepared for more action later on.**

**I'm going to try not to drone on too much this time, so without further ado, here's chapter 4.**

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this barren heart of mine  
So cold and empty without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

He dined on a meal unlike any that he had ever tasted- quite possibly a masterpiece, despite being prepared with little to no equipment or supplies.

The meat dish couldn't quite be called a soup, as the consistency was too thick, but it was not far off either. The meat was so tender that it fell apart in his mouth, while also being firm enough to make each bite incredibly satisfying. The sauce was an astounding complement, flavoured with various... things... to be honest, his palette wasn't refined enough to identify the ingredients in it, but as long as it tasted good he didn't really care.

If only he could continue to savour this delicious dish for-

"Jeez, you really don't have _any_ manners, do you?" complained a very irate Jellal.

Well, so much for that little slice of heaven. As much as the boy would like to sit and appreciate his food, it was clear he wouldn't get the opportunity with Jellal around.

"What are you talking about?" he replied disinterestedly. "My manners are great. More importantly, what is this?"

"It's a Bodhras, a boar-like creature that very common in this area" replied Jellal irritably.

"Cool... now, what's this extra stuff you've thrown in?"

"It's called seasoning, Pinkie... if you weren't such a savage, you'd know that." Jellal snapped.

"Now now, Jellal, be nice!" chastised Wendy, pouting adorably.

Jellal grimaced, clearly not keen on that idea, but willing, at the very least, to stop with his jibes... for now.

Also... 'Pinkie'? It wasn't the most flattering nickname, but it would do. He had no intention of giving the rude young man his real name.

* * *

This was a pretty strange turn of events, given that he and Jellal had been about to throw down earlier, but thanks to Wendy and her timely intervention, the three of them were now peacefully resting beside the re-lit fire. Wendy's revelation had apparently been enough to convince Jellal that the strange pink-haired boy wasn't a demon- just an uncivilised savage with a very freaky type of magic. It was also at her insistence that the boy had been allowed to join them for the night. Jellal had protested strongly, of course. He wasn't at all impressed with the way Pinkie presented himself. Personality aside, the young man's attire was far from refined: he was dressed in a shabby-looking red doublet, which had sustained several tears while he had been travelling the woods. For some reason, he chose to wear a pale yellow sash around his waist, though ultimately it was completely unnecessary. He also wore a long pair of caramel-coloured shorts, but despite his outfit being fairly light and entirely unsuitable for cold weather, he also wore a thick white scarf. It was completely non-sensical and consequently, Jellal wasn't entirely sure that the boy was quite right in the head.

Indeed, Jellal had been adamant that Pinkie shouldn't be anywhere near them... but Wendy had shot down his protests mercilessly. Pinkie couldn't help but feel that she was a little strange... while she came across as quite shy and gentle, she could be surprisingly strong-willed when she wanted to be- to be honest, the contrast was a little scary.

With a side-long glance, the boy appraised his new companions.

Jellal was maybe a couple of years older than the boy and perhaps half a head taller. He had a lean build which gave the impression of a maturity beyond his years. His hair was a shade of royal blue and quite dishevelled, almost as if he was trying to play the rebel. Peering through the mop of hair, his dark green eyes gazed outwards intently, with one eye framed by an intricate red tattoo that stretched down from his right brow to his cheek.

His outfit was an odd mishmash of colours, as he wore a dark-coloured tunic with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows and white breeches with red highlights.

The young man in question was sitting a short distance away, feigning composure, but always making sure to keep his staff within reach.

Speaking of his staff... the boy's eyes trailed over to the curious weapon, which lay leaning on Jellal's backpack.

On closer inspection, the wooden staff didn't look like it would prove to be a very good weapon. While it was long enough to give its wielder some reach, it wasn't thick enough to give it the weight or strength necessary to make a good quarterstaff. As if that wasn't enough, it also had two very questionable design choices:

Firstly, most of the staff was covered in bandages. Not only was there no obvious purpose to those bandages, but if they weren't properly secured and started coming off during a fight, it would just make the staff more difficult to grip, or worse, entangle its user.

Secondly, the staff's end had a ring.

Now, it was perfectly valid for staves to be off-balanced- by weighting one end, you could deliver heavier strikes. However, this ring seemed far too fragile to be effective for this purpose.

Because of these two factors, the boy was unsure of the staff's true purpose.

He truly despised being unsure about things.

So then, if it wasn't designed for practical use, maybe it was meant for something else?

It was time to test a theory.

As a Dragonslayer, there was very little that the boy couldn't see. Though his eyes were very sharp and could see things from great distances, or in almost complete darkness, they could do much more than fulfil these mundane purposes.

He focused on the staff for a moment, temporarily cutting out everything around him. His pupils shrank slightly, then dilated to almost twice their usual size. The fire appeared to flare up slightly, as his eyes let in more of its light. He resisted the urge to close his eyes or shield them from the sudden intensity- that was a primal urge unbefitting of a Dragonslayer, who demonstrate little to no risk of loss of vision.

His efforts proved to be successful, as he finally saw _it_.

With his eyes now tuned as they were, he could see a faint haze around the staff, as if the air itself was shimmering. It radiated hundreds of luminescent particles resembling sparks from a fire. There was one key difference, however; these particles were not the colour of sparks, but rather a deep purple instead.

Well, theory confirmed. The staff was magical in nature. As for what it could do... he could only guess.

Having satisfied his curiosity, he relaxed his eyes, nullifying his Vision. Suddenly, the atmospheric stimuli that he had blocked out came crashing down on him like a wave. He started slightly, momentarily overwhelmed by the flood of sensory information. When he eventually phased back in, he realized that Wendy was trying to say something to him. He turned to face her only to find he was almost nose-to-nose with her. He jerked backwards in shock, almost falling off the log that he was perched upon.

If Wendy was offended by him distancing himself from her, she didn't show it.

"Sorry, I was a bit distracted there. What were you just saying?" he asked apologetically.

"I said, 'Are your alright'" she repeated worriedly. She leant towards him eagerly, even as he tried to lean back.

"Huh? I'm fine, why do you ask?" he inquired, somewhat confused.

"Don't know, you just looked like you were thinking about something," she stated simply.

Well, that was certainly true. He had been totally ignoring his two companions' conversation in order to ogle a staff, while one of them had been talking to him no less. And he had also been analysing the two of them when they weren't paying attention.

"I guess I was," he replied. "But it's nothing to worry about."

"That's good," sighed a relieved Wendy.

She really was an odd girl. She was around two or three years younger than he was and a lot shorter too, as she only came up to his shoulders when standing upright. She had a very tomboyish appearance- she wore her dark blue hair in a short, chin-length bob, while she wore a white short-sleeve shirt with a red collar and a light blue pair of shorts. Though, her appearance seemed to be the most normal thing about her.

She came across as a very timid girl who was afraid of many things, yet at times she could be incredibly fierce. She seemed nervous around people, yet carefree and lively around people she trusted.

So if she was so shy... why was she so eager to talk to him?

The girl had practically glued herself to his side since she had met him, despite him being a total stranger. Every time she looked at him, she had this expression on her face that was a mixture of anxiety and... hope?

Ah, he understood what she was looking for now.

"Anyway, isn't there something more important that you want to ask?" he said.

She opened her mouth to reply, gulped, then simply nodded.

Well then, next question.

"Because I'm a Dragonslayer?" he said.

She nodded again, a little stronger this time.

"Let me guess... you're a Dragonslayer too?"

She stared into his eyes steadily, not so much as blinking.

"Yes."

"Ok, then," he said, unsurprised. "What's your question?"

Wendy gulped again, then practically blurted out her question.

"Have you seen Grandeeney?" she demanded.

"...who?"

"She's my dragon," Wendy explained.

Oh.

Oh no. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach and a terrible feeling that he knew which way this was going.

"Did she..." he started to ask. Wendy looked at him curiously.

"Did she disappear seven days ago?" he said finally.

He knew the answer before she even confirmed his words. His sense of dread told him that it would be so and that this wasn't just a coincidence. There was something more going on that had yet to be explained.

"The truth is, my dragon, Igneel, disappeared seven days ago too," he told her, as gently as he could. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen your Grandeeney, or any other dragons either."

Her crestfallen expression was heartbreaking.  
He felt sick when he saw the tears start to well in her eyes.  
More than anything, he wanted to tell her that it would be alright, that this nightmare would soon be over... because all he wanted was to hear those same words.

He reached out to her. Jellal lunged for his staff defensively, but it proved to be unnecessary. He had thought that the boy might harm Wendy, however, he simply patted her head awkwardly, but gently.

She looked up at him with surprise, saw the knowing look and understanding on his face. He was someone who knew her pain.

"It's ok, Wendy," he said reassuringly. "I know you'll find her again. I don't know where, or even when. But I know you will... and it will be like you were never apart."

She smiled slightly, clearly taking some measure of comfort in his words. She buried her head in his chest and as he continued to pat her head awkwardly, she let the rest of her tears pour out until there was nothing left.

* * *

Not long after, they all decided it was time to turn in for the night, though they hadn't exchanged a single word about it. Pinkie grabbed a spot near the fire and lay down on his back, using his pack as a makeshift pillow. Wendy grabbed a blanket out of one of the packs and plonked herself down nearby. Jellal, however, had taken it upon himself to act as a lookout, in case any more undesirables turned up. Of course, it was entirely unnecessary, as Pinkie's senses would warn him of any threats and wake him up long before the danger arrived. He wasn't going to bother telling Jellal that though, as he was far too stubborn. Besides, Jellal couldn't stay awake all night and would eventually succumb to sleep too.

As Pinkie rested, he found himself trying to peer through the tree canopy to gaze at the stars. Unfortunately, it seemed that the canopy was just too thick and the stars remained hidden from view.  
It was a shame really... he had always found the night sky to be soothing, in its own way. The sight of countless pinpricks of light shining from so far away and the quiet of night instilled in him a calmness that was most unlike him.

So instead, he simply closed his eyes and envisioned a sky swimming with stars. With this image in his mind, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was a few hours before dawn when he awoke. It wasn't due to any untoward interference or sense of danger; He didn't sense anything threatening around him. He didn't feel fully-rested, but at the same time, he wasn't particularly tired either. Evidently, his body had just decided that it was time to wake up.

He sat upright, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. He looked around, noticing with some amusement that Jellal had indeed fallen asleep while on watch, as he had predicted. Wendy still lay in the same spot where she had fallen asleep.

Everything remained unchanged from when they had gone to sleep, save one thing- the fire had been extinguished. Without anyone tending it, it must have burned through all its fuel and died out.

This wasn't much of a concern for the fire wizard, as his magic protected him from the cold to some extent, but the same could not be said of the other two. Neither Jellal nor Wendy had any particular resistance to the cold, at least compared to your average human. The night wasn't as cold as it could be, but it was still far too cold to sleep comfortably if you lacked the appropriate equipment. Which was definitely true in this case, with both Jellal and Wendy shivering in testament to the fact.  
Concerned for their health, he walked quietly to their supplies and rummaged through them, looting an extra blanket for his efforts. One quick decision later, he decided to drape it over Jellal's unconscious form. He then walked back to his spot next to Wendy, who had curled up into a ball to conserve her body heat.

He looked at her sleeping face, which was pale with the cold, except for her eyes, still reddened from the tears that she had shed.  
_'Don't worry,'_ he thought. _'I will make sure you don't go cold tonight.'_

He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes, almost as if meditating. Then he willed for flames to come forth. The fire flowed out of him gladly, flickering over his skin and bathing the clearing with light and warmth. The chill in the air receded slowly and as it did so, Wendy's tremors gradually became less severe, before stopping entirely. Finally warm, she relaxed once again, drifting into a deep slumber.  
Pinkie smiled gently, glad that he had brought her some small measure of comfort.

And so he sat there, acting as a candle through the night. His flames continued to burn warm and bright until the sun started to rise. As the sun broke the horizon, he let them fade away, feeling tired, but content.  
He found himself feeling rather philosophical all of a sudden. Maybe there was a lesson in all of this somewhere? Despite all that he dealt with right now, he couldn't lose heart. All he could do was march onwards and continue to hold onto one thing, the one thing that would sustain him:

Hope.

* * *

When Wendy and Jellal finally awoke, the trio had a hasty meal, consisting of various odds and ends the three of them had left over in their packs. It wasn't the most enjoyable meal, but it was filling enough, he supposed. They had a long journey planned today, so there was little time to prepare anything fancier.

Pinkie had explained to Jellal and Wendy about his plan to find Igneel and his desire to find a big city. They'd then informed him that they hadn't seen such a place for quite some time, but had offered to guide him to a small village that they had recently passed by.  
They set off as soon as possible, not eager to waste any time.

It seemed that Pinkie had not been too far off in his estimation before, but even so, he would have missed this village by a few miles, as well as encounter some difficult terrain on the way. Jellal led the way, doing his best to walk the path of least resistance and using his staff to push aside some of the undergrowth when it proved necessary. It seemed that the young man was quite experienced with travelling through the wilderness and it showed. Overall, it made the journey a lot easier.

Wendy proved to be quite the chatterbox, practically talking their ears off about anything. From the weather to her favourite type of food, to her dragon, she jumped from one topic to the next with hardly any pause in-between. Jellal however, said nothing for a long time, until he finally broke his silence around three hours later.

"We're getting close," he said bluntly.

Finally, an indication of progress after the hours of demanding hiking. Pinkie perked up at the news, excited to finally be nearing his destination. Noticing this, Wendy fell silent.

Less than half an hour later, Jellal stopped in his tracks.

"This is as far as we can take you," he said, gesturing ahead of him.

Mere metres away, the forest simply ended. By standing at its edge, they could tell that the forest they were in must be at a fairly high altitude, as the land ahead of them appeared much lower. The terrain sloped downwards for a substantial distance before eventually levelling out. With large rolling fields and meadows, this place was a stark contrast to the dense forest.

Jellal pointed down the hill, where a small stream cascaded down a rocky bed.

"You see this stream?" he said, "It passes through a small village in this lowland area. Keep following it and you'll find your way there."

"Hmm... why does it sound like you're trying to get rid of me?" Pinkie asked.

"Because I am," said Jellal candidly.

"Oh come on Jellal!" Wendy begged. "Can't we take him a little bit further?"

"No, Wendy," Jellal said with a shake of his head. "We've already taken a big detour to show him this far. We need to get more supplies and I don't trust these people to give them to us without pulling tricks on us... or worse."

He looked at Pinkie seriously.

"The people there aren't the nicest bunch and aren't very welcoming to outsiders, so watch yourself. Keep a cool head and don't show them any sign of weakness. Though, given your freaky magic, I'm sure you'll be fine. Anyone would have to be insane to try and pick a fight with you."

Pinkie smirked. "You know, that's the closest you've come to cracking a joke since I met you. I almost thought you didn't have a sense of humour."

Jellal grimaced indignantly. "I don't have a sense of humour, you say? I'll have you know I'm the life of the party," he said with a deadpan expression.

Pinky cringed inwardly. _'Damn it, you can't deliver a line like that with such a blank face, it's criminal.'_ he thought.

Their short moment of banter came to an end and they both turned their backs on each other.

The fire wizard started walking down the slope, raising one hand in farewell.

"Well then. No point hanging around," he said simply. "Take care you two."

Mirroring his action, Jellal returned to the woods. After a moment's hesitation, Wendy followed suit. However, after only a few steps, she stopped.

Hearing her footsteps stop suddenly, Jellal turned back to her, just in time to watch her race down the hill, after the pink-haired boy. He returned to the forest's edge and watched her approached the boy.

_'Well, what's one more delay?'_ he thought. _'Let her have her farewell.'_

The boy stopped as she approached him, turning halfway to greet her. Jellal could just about hear the words she said to him.

"Hey..." she said. "You never told me your name."

He smirked cheekily.

"My name, huh?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

Suddenly, the wind flared up out of nowhere. He saw the boy's lips move, but the wind whipped the words away before he could hear them. Then the breeze died away just as suddenly, just in time for him to catch the end of Wendy's reply.

"-it was nice to meet you. I hope we'll meet again soon!" she exclaimed in delight.

"I know we will. Later!" Pinkie replied, wholeheartedly. Somehow, Jellal had a feeling that he was right.

The boy turned and marched on. Still, Jellal and Wendy watched, gazing after him for the longest time, until he finally disappeared into the distance.

* * *

**And that's that for now. As I said, I'm sorry if it didn't feel like much happened this chapter, I was mainly focusing on establishing the characters and stuff this time. Next time should be more fun.**

**I also introduced the first 'new ability' this chapter. I'm going to tentatively refer to it as "Dragon Sense" for now (though I'm not sure if that name infringes on any other abilities, as I'm not a complete Fairy Tail expert.)  
****Essentially it allows a dragonslayer to temporarily enhance their senses to detect things that are ordinarily beyond their already superhuman senses. Maybe this will have some interesting implications for future chapters?**

**But, moving on. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out by the end of the week (or early next week at the latest), so hopefully you'll look forward to it. Till next time.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Like a bolt from the blue

**Greetings and welcome to chapter 5. Now, I had intended to upload this chapter over the weekend, but I decided it would be best to put it off until I was happy with it and I managed to get to a decent stopping point.**

**So, after all that, I finally managed to come up with something that I felt was pretty decent. I hope you enjoy! **

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this barren heart of mine  
So cold and empty without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

It was with a heavy heart that Pinkie trudged along. Even though he had only journeyed with Wendy and Jellal for a short while, he felt their absence keenly. It was the first time that he'd had the opportunity to socialise with anyone close to his age... or anyone for that matter.

His only consolation was that very soon, he'd meet a lot more people. Jellal had said that this village, Tretelan, was rather small and only had around sixty to eighty inhabitants. That may seem like an insignificant number to some people, but for someone like Pinkie, who had barely laid eyes on another human in his life, it was a little intimidating.

Jellal's warning was also at the forefront of his mind. Hearing words like 'watch yourself' and 'don't show them any sign of weakness' certainly didn't make him feel comfortable with this course of action. But this was an important step in achieving his eventual goal, so it had to be done, no matter the risks.

He was fortunate that he had already resolved himself by that point, as he then rounded one last bend in the stream that he still followed and caught sight of the village ahead. His already heightened nerves kicked up a notch, causing his pulse to quicken and his breathing to become shallower. What sort of reception would he receive? Would they ignore him? Confront him on sight?

He did he best to suppress his overactive imagination- there was no use worrying about it now. 'Deal with it as it comes', as was his motto.

The stream that Pinkie followed had steadily grown wider and deeper as it rushed along. No longer trickling feebly, it dashed over the ground, cascading over rocks and carving the earth with its incessant march. The village was split in two by the water, which flowed in a gentle arc from the north-western edge of the settlement to the eastern edge. It appeared that most of the homes were situated on the southern side of the river, while a few buildings were sparsely scattered around on the north side.

On the outskirts of the village stood several farm buildings, each one boasting several tilled fields, though none were particularly large.

At first sight, it appeared to be a fairly ordinary settlement... until you took a closer look.

Most of the buildings were in a state of disrepair, built with aged, rotting timber beams, or with disintegrating thatch roofing. The fields were poorly maintained, with sickly looking and underdeveloped crops. The villagers themselves had a gaunt, almost feral appearance and moved shiftily, ever vigilant, as if expecting an attack at any moment.

At this point, some of the villagers started to notice Pinkie's approach. A couple of children ran from him on sight, disappearing within some of the buildings. A few adults followed suit, though it was more likely that they were preparing weapons in case this newcomer turned out to be a threat.

Most of the people simply looked at him. However, their expressions were not one of welcome or even curiosity... it was outright hostility. Pure distrust and mischief were plastered on the faces of every man, woman and child. It was if they were simultaneously hoping he'd leave, while also wondering how they might exploit him.

One of the downsides of being a dragonslayer was that his enhanced vision let him see their expressions long before he should have done, which did nothing to help ease his tension. The sinister atmosphere made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and his instincts screamed at him to get far away from this place, but it was already too late- he was already walking down the hard-packed dirt path, making his way through the buildings.

The path that he followed ran roughly parallel to the river, entering the village from the western edge. He followed it, drawing closer to the centre of the village. His feelings of unease only grew with each step, with each glimpse of the furtive movements of those around him. On numerous occasions, he could swear that he caught sight of faces peering at him, or the shape of someone's figure flitting from one hiding spot to the next. However, every time he tried to take a better look, it seemed like nothing was there.

In the end, he decided to just ignore it and just focus on what was ahead. But then he started to _hear_ things instead. At first, all he heard was footsteps- quiet and regular, nothing out of the ordinary. After a while, they started to cut off every so often at odd times. When this started happening, he would have a quick glance, but once again, he would see nothing.

He continued on, trying to act unfazed.

The footsteps resumed.  
And gradually grew louder.  
And louder.

The rhythm changed, no longer regular, but erratic. The volume kept changing, so one moment was eerily quiet, while the next was almost deafening. So deafening that he almost didn't hear _it_.

A slow murmur pervading the resounding noises. A low continuous noise that goes unnoticed for the longest time, only to become unmissable once you finally perceive it.  
It was a whisper.  
And this voice would not be ignored.

_"You do not belong here."_

Pinkie yelled, flinching away from the voice that spoke directly into his ear. There was nothing there, yet it was like the speaker had crawled inside his head. That was terrifying enough, but to make matters worse, the sun had set without him realising it.

...No. The sun hadn't set at all- the day had simply grown dark. The sun was still high in the sky, yet it was black as night. The shadows moved ominously, like smoke that was somehow held in place and the world around him had been drained of colour. This was not the world that he knew, but rather a realm of shadows.

"Where are you?!" Pinkie demanded.

_"You do not belong here"_. Evidently, the speaker wasn't about to dignify him with a response to that question.

"Come out now and fight me. Stop hiding!" yelled Pinkie.

Once again, the voice didn't answer. But the whispering grew increasingly louder, becoming a cacophony of voices. The boy fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony and all but burying his face in the ground as the words washed over him.

_"You do not belong here"_

_ "Go away"_

_"You do not belong here"_

_ "You are not wanted he-"_

_"YOU DO NOT BELONG"_

Feeling an awful sense of dread, Pinkie looked up. What greeted him was a most terrifying sight indeed.

It seemed that in his confusion, Pinkie had wandered into the centre of the village. Here, the path that he had walked on intersected another path that stretched from the north to the south, with the assistance of a small makeshift bridge which spanned the stream. Together, they formed a crossroads of sorts. From this central point, the four pathways each stretched towards the cardinal directions.

These paths were no longer unoccupied. The villagers, like statues, barred his way, cutting off any means of escape.

Looking to the western side, Pinkie caught sight of one man who stood out from the rest. Standing slightly ahead of his peers, the old man clutched a short staff, as if it was the only thing holding him upright. He had a long wispy beard and he was hunched over as if the weight of the whole world was on his shoulders. This was likely the village elder... or perhaps _had_ been.

Because there was no life left in those soulless eyes.

With a tilt of his head, he grinned, then gravely intoned:

"You do not belong here... begone."

With those words, the ground began to tremble and a rush of wind blew from behind the man, bearing a black cloud that enveloped the villagers. As the dark cloud barreled towards him, all Pinkie could do was put up a last desperate defence against the onslaught.

"**Fire Dragon Flame Shield**" he roared. Fire radiated from every pore, surrounding him in a thick cloak of flames. A second later, the darkness enveloped him, swirling around him like a tempest.

For a moment, it seemed that his flames might keep the darkness at bay. The fire, as radiant as the sun and blisteringly hot, purged the darkness that it came into contact with. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep it up for long; while this protection was powerful, it also required a lot of energy to maintain it. As such, his reserves of magical reserves started to run out and the flames began to dim. Unable to fight the darkness, the flames were smothered and slowly died out.

The moment the flames disappeared, the darkness swooped in and swallowed him.

He was left blind, utterly disoriented and at the complete mercy of the shadows. The voices were all around, tearing at him with their words and accusation, filling his head with poisonous thoughts and images. He struggled to fight his way out, but there was no escape for him.. all he could do was wait helplessly as the shadows pulled him into a deep abyss.

* * *

He drifted endlessly in a dark void.  
There was no light, nor sound- It was an emptiness unlike any other that he had ever experienced.  
As he floated by, he could feel his senses start to drift away from him. It was getting hard to think coherently.

What was this place?  
What had happened to him?  
Was there any escape from this hellish place? Or would he die, with no-one by his side?

That last thought scared him more than anything.  
For as long as he could remember, Igneel had always been watching over him, nurturing him and helping him grow into the person he was today.  
Then when Igneel left, he had found the resolve to set out on his own. On his journey, he had met two people who he could possibly consider to be friends. Now they were gone too.  
There was no way that he could let this be the end.

He had stubbornly decided that he would find Igneel, no matter what it took. He couldn't fall before he'd achieved that much at least.  
But more than that, he wanted to go on more adventures... to meet more people and make new friends.  
There was so much that he wanted to experience, so he would fight until his last breath, for the opportunity to live the life that he wanted.  
He reached deep inside of himself, searching for that last bit of strength that he needed.

The voices returned with a vengeance, determined to finish him off for good.  
He used every ounce of power he had left to resist the torrent of filth that ate away at him and even as he did so, he prayed for rescue.

"Well, you're in quite the pickle, runt. You're lucky I happened to stop by."

The new voice had a resounding effect on the others, which suddenly became more distant and hushed.

"Just hang tight a sec and try not to die... this is going to hurt a bit."

With those words, a fierce light sprang into being, becoming ever brighter as it filled the void. Pinkie could finally see the form of the beings that had tormented him- phantom figures that had been completely invisible in the darkness. As the mysterious force came into contact with them, their bodies started to disintegrate, causing them to scream in agony before disappearing entirely.

The light drew closer to Pinkie and he was finally able to see it for what it truly was- golden lightning, forking through the air in a great big chain.

The lightning arced through him, igniting his skin and causing his blood to boil. His body convulsed spasmodically from the shocks that rippled through him, leaving him all but paralysed. He roared in anguish, even as he tried to protect himself from the energy that rushed through him.

Unfortunately, there was very little he could do to protect himself from the shocks- while his magic gave him control over the element of fire, it didn't allow him to directly influence any other element. However, in sheer desperation, he tried to command the lightning to stop.  
There was a subtle change- suddenly, the lightning became less invasive, almost as if it was running in harmony with his body. The pain dulled, though it was still uncomfortable.

He wasn't given much of a chance to marvel over this, however. Moments later, the lightning drove away the last remnants of shadows and the world shattered into pieces.

When he finally became aware of his surroundings, he found himself lying face down in the dirt. Complete exhaustion had taken over him and he realized he barely had enough energy to stay awake, let alone move. He might well have fallen asleep right there and then if it wasn't for the interjection of a familiar voice.

"Well well, colour me impressed! You managed to survive that after all."

It was the voice of a young man. His words were filled with confidence, though it might be more accurate to describe it as 'lazy arrogance'.

With difficulty, Pinkie managed to lift his head just enough to take a look at his rescuer.

The young man in question squatted in front of him, head tilted slightly to one side. His muddled hair was a brilliant golden colour, just like his magic. His grey eyes were slightly narrowed, giving him a stern, suspicious looking gaze. He also bore a lightning bolt shaped scar over his right eye.

This guy could look quite intimidating if it wasn't for his odd fashion choices:

First of all, he wore an unusual looking metal device that covered both of his ears. Each earpiece had a metal spike protruding from the side of it, and a length of wire connected the two, with a trailing segment that ran into one of his pockets.  
He also wore an ochre-coloured short sleeve shirt, with a darker long-sleeve shirt underneath. That just begged the question... why wear two shirts? Is it some sort of trend? If so, humans were weird indeed.

The young man continued along with his previous train of thought.

"Honestly, I was kinda expecting you to get a little fried and crispy after that, but you look like you're still in one piece... interesting." the young man mused.

Pinkie wasn't able to muster up anything in the way of a reply, as his vision was starting to get dark. Unable to stay awake any longer, he started slipping into unconsciousness.

"Hey, don't go passing out on me now! I don't wanna have to carry yo-"

He didn't quite catch the end of Goldie's sentence there as, by that time, he was already comatose.

* * *

The power of sleep is truly a miraculous thing. No matter how exhausted one feels, simply closing your eyes and resting for a while leaves you feeling as fresh as a daisy. It allows you to forget your earthly woes and simply meander through a world of your own creation, albeit one that you don't necessarily have much control over. Even in times of distress, when you feel as if you can't cope, sleep is your friend- because when you wake up, you can start anew with a clear head.

Yes, sleep truly is an amazing thing.

However, being rudely awakened from a pleasant sleep is a dreadful thing.  
Being woken up by an intense electric shock though... that's one of the worst things imaginable.

The intense pain of being hit by a bolt of lightning figuratively _and_ literally shocked Pinkie out of his slumber.  
He screamed, leaping to his feet, while the culprit howled in amusement.

"Wow, you should have seen yourself jump up," Goldie guffawed loudly. "Like a little kitty who's tail got stomped on!"

"Hey, are you trying to fry me, moron?!"

"Watch who you're talking to punk." Goldie spat. "Don't forget who saved your bacon back there. Show a little gratitude."

"'Saved by bacon'? You zapped me with lightning... twice!" Pinkie argued. "You want gratitude? I'll show you gratitude."

He charged at the other man, igniting his fist and preparing to strike. Unconcerned, Goldie raised one hand and unleashed a volley of lightning at him. As the lightning came into contact with him, it dispersed, bending around him.

Goldie's eyes widened in surprise as the Pinkie ploughed through his spell completely unfazed. He was so surprised in fact that he almost forgot to defend himself. In the nick of time, he raised one hand and struck down the boy, slamming him into the floor hard enough to leave a small crater. The combination of sheer force and the lightning that accompanied it were just too much and once again, Pinkie slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Have you calmed down yet, kid?"

"I would be a lot calmer if you'd stop calling me 'kid'."

Having been thoroughly beaten and knocked out for a second time in a very short span of time, Pinkie had lost all interest in fighting. Right now, he just wanted the world to stop spinning so he could rest peacefully.

He sat barefoot on a bed of lush grass, leaning against a large oak tree. The sun had risen a short while ago, painting the sky a golden colour- he must have been asleep for the tail end of the previous day and all through the night too.  
As the tree was at the top of a small hill, it afforded Pinkie an excellent view of the surrounding countryside.

The scenery wasn't the focus of his attention however, but rather the young man who sat opposite him.

Goldie stared at him with an expression of mild consideration, as if trying to work out what to do with him. That was all well and good, but the situation wasn't exactly comfortable. So in order to break the awkward silence, he phrased a question to the young man.

"So... what brought you all the way out here? You don't look like you belong in the village," he asked.

Goldie contemplated the question for a moment, pursing his lips.

"You're right, I'm not from the village," he answered. "I only came to this backwater of a place to complete a job. Then I saw you being attacked by those Inaeri and thought I may as well take care of 'em."

"Hang on, what's IN-EAR-REE? What have ears got to do with it?" Pinkie asked.

"Nothing, that's what... and it's pronounced IN-AIR-EE." Goldie enunciated carefully. "It's the name we've given to a certain race of phantom creatures. These beings torment their victims until they go insane. If they get strong enough, they can devour your soul or even your very body... and you just happened to stumble into a village full of the damn things."

Well, talk about unlucky. Personally, Pinkie had never had anyone devour his soul, but he wasn't eager to find out what it felt like either.

Apparently, Goldie wasn't finished with this line of conversation, as he asked a question of his own.

"So..." he started. "Why _were_ you in that village exactly?". He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb, pointing to the village in the distance.

Pinkie was almost tempted to dodge the question, or just make up some fictional tale, but in the end, decided against it. He had been hoping to find some useful information in the village, but that plan was dead in the water now. Goldie, however, might just have the information he needed.

So Pinkie explained as succinctly as possible about his plan to find Igneel. When he finally came to the end of his explanation, Goldie nodded thoughtfully.

"I see," he said simply. "I'm not sure whether to believe you when you say that this Igneel is a dragon, but I do believe that you want to find him pretty badly."

He sighed resignedly. "I guess I'd better help you then. If you're looking for a town with lot's of people in it, the closest place would be Magnolia."

"...is it a nice town?"

"It's... not bad," Goldie replied reluctantly, though his face softened slightly as he spoke of the place. "Hang on a sec. You'll need a little somethin' to help you get there."

He reached for his pack and rummaged through it, eventually withdrawing a map and a compass. They were both good quality pieces- the map was extremely accurate and included information on altitude and landmarks, while many of the components of the compass were clear, allowing you to use it in conjunction with the map for more precise bearings. He was sure that they would be useful tools for the young boy.

"Here," he said, handing them over. "I've done so much travelling that I rarely need to use these anymore, so you may as well make use of them."

Pinkie looked at the map intensely, eyes flicking back and forth rapidly. He then switched his attention to the compass, fiddling with it. The more he messed with the equipment, the more concerned Goldie became. Eventually, he couldn't resist asking the question on his mind.

"Look... you do know how to use these, right?"

Pinkie's sheepish expression said it all.

Goldie growled frustratedly.

"Alright," he said. "Listen up, cos I'm only going to tell you this once."

He then proceeded to give a rapid crash course on how to use this rather advanced compass as well as the map, explaining the difference between magnetic north and true north, declination, bearings and how to use the ruler measurements to calculate distance on the map.

"I see..." Pinkie said finally. "These things are pretty useful then."

Feeling exhausted, Goldie pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly.

"You'd better get going," he said. "You've got at least a week of walking ahead of you."

"What? I thought it wouldn't take me any more than three days!"

"Either you're a very fast walker, or you still don't understand how to calculate distance... if it's the latter, you should sort that out before you get into trouble again."

With those words, he rose to his feet.

"Right... time for me to go. I need to go finish that job."

"You mean, back at the village? I thought you'd already finished those things off?"

"Yes, I dealt with those Inaeri that were after you, but unless I get rid of the source, more will spring up and they'll all get stronger too." He gave a 'tsk' of disgust. "I haven't managed to work out what's causing it yet... might be a curse, dark magic, or maybe someone has just been up to some pretty nasty stuff. Evil acts corrupt everything, given time."

"...Well, I'm glad. Those people back there could really do with your help."

Goldie looked at him in a peculiar way and asked a very disturbing question.

"What people? No one has lived there for a long time... they all moved out when things started going down."

Once again, he turned to leave, leaving one last parting message.

"Anyway, try not to get killed on your way to Magnolia... I would hate it if all my hard work went to waste."

Still stunned by his previous remark, Pinkie was unable to answer.

_'If there was nobody living in the village... what did I see?'_ he thought. He realized immediately that he didn't want to know the answer to that question. Pushing the thought out of his head, he prepared to set off, hoisting his pack onto his shoulder and checking both his map and compass.

_"Maybe one day... you_ will_ belong here..."_

He chose to believe that the voice was just a figment of his imagination, though the raised hairs on the back of his neck told him otherwise. He walked on with a brisk pace, leaving the god-forsaken village behind him... it was time to move on.

* * *

**And there we have it for chapter 5... as promised, there was a little more action in this chapter and a LOT of creepy stuff.**

**I should be finished with this early filler-esque** **stuff soon and start to bring in more of the main storyline soon. If you like this stuff though, let me know and I'll try to throw a little more in throughout the story... I'm pretty sure everyone knows how the main story goes, but this stuff is a little different, so it's fun to write (and hopefully read). **

**Anyway, see you guys later. Ciao**


	6. Chapter 6 - City of Dreams

**Hello and welcome to chapter 6 of A Dragon's Tail. It's been quite a long time coming, but with good reason! I was originally planning to write two chapters but decided to try and squeeze them into one to speed things up a bit. Unfortunately, that means I spent a little longer writing this. If it's any consolation, it will be my longest chapter yet.**

**I have an announcement of sorts at the end for you guys too. Nothing too huge, just some information regarding the direction of the story in upcoming chapters, so you might be interested in reading it.**

**Before I ramble on too much, I'll let you get to reading. Enjoy! **

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this barren heart of mine  
So cold and empty without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

Now that Pinkie had a destination in mind, his spirits were lifted. His eagerness was so strong in fact, that he had to restrain himself from running full tilt, as all that would do is leave him exhausted long before he even got there. Instead, he forced himself to stick to a steady march and follow the plan that had been set out for him.

While being in Goldie's presence for so long had been unbearable, the young man's help had proven to be invaluable. Not only had he pointed Pinkie in the direction of a large town, but he had also given him some useful equipment as well as the know-how to use them whenever he saw fit- talk about a stroke of luck.

Goldie had pointed out several landmarks on the map and had suggested that he travel to these landmarks rather than walk directly to Magnolia. When he'd asked why Goldie explained that it would be easier to keep track of where he was and would, therefore, help him avoid becoming lost. This route would also- supposedly- help him avoid several areas of difficult terrain.

He glanced at the map.

"Let's see..." he mused. "The first place he mentioned was... here."

Tracing over the map with his finger, he stopped when he found the symbol he was looking for.

"What did he say this place was called... the Lake of Perception? What the hell does that even mean?" he muttered. "Well, odd name or not, that's where I need to go."

Wiping the sweat off his brow, he paused to confirm- once again- that he was indeed heading in the right direction. At least, that was his excuse, but the truth was that he still felt a bit unwell after being knocked out earlier. He stifled his nausea, hoping that he would start to feel better soon and walked onwards.

* * *

Two days later, Pinkie neared his first landmark- or rather, he _thought_ he was close to it. He wasn't sure if his navigation skills were up to scratch as of yet and he wasn't entirely confident that he had been interpreting the map correctly either.

Glancing around, he looked for a good vantage point to get a better view. The land around him consisted of wide, rolling plains, with a few odd trees scattered around. Unfortunately, none of the trees were tall enough to make a good vantage point, so in the end, he decided to simply climb a nearby hill. Once he reached the peak, he spun around in a slow circle, scouring the land with his Dragonsense.

It didn't take him long to find the lake, as it was actually quite close, much to his surprise. He started running towards it, then, following a nasty trip that left him eating dirt, decided it might be best just to... walk there.

Less than ten minutes later, he arrived at the lake's edge. It was a lake like any other, or so he would ordinarily say- but recent events had left him a little paranoid.

_'Better safe than sorry...'_ he thought, enabling his Dragonsense once again.

He took a thorough look at the lake and the surrounding area. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he listened for any suspicious sounds. Hearing nothing, he turned to his nose, walking the perimeter of the lake and sniffing the air as he did so. For a second he thought he smelled something like a variety of flower, but it vanished before he could work out what it was. That wasn't entirely surprising though- there were a multitude of flowers by the lakeside that might mask the scent.

Satisfied that he was not in any immediate danger, he approached the lake. He knelt by the edge and gazed into the crystal clear water. It was so clear in fact that you could see straight to the bottom with ease. It was larger than he had first believed and deceptively deep.

Suddenly, he became aware of just how parched he was. Fighting the urge to dunk his face into the water, he put both hands in the water and cupped them, lifting the water to his lips. He took just a small sip, rolled the water around his tongue, gargled it, trying to see if there was anything wrong with it.  
It was perfectly fine... and it was delicious.

He drank the water greedily, water dribbling down his chin as again and again, he raised the water to his lips. He drank for what felt like an eternity and at the same time only an instant until finally, he was satisfied.

As common sense returned, he reached for his waterskin. Still kneeling, he put one hand down and with the other, dipped his waterskin into the lake, refilling the vessel.

'Good thing I remembered to fill this up,' he muttered to himself. 'Otherwise, I would have run out of water before long.'

He lifted the waterskin, returning the now full vessel to his belt. He stood, feeling the waterskin's familiar weight as it-

...Wait a second.  
He hefted the waterskin for a second.  
On second thought, it still felt quite light... if he didn't know better, he'd say it was still empty.

He uncorked it again, checking it.

_'It's still empty,'_ he thought in surprise.

He knelt again, holding the waterskin under the water again. Thirty seconds later, he lifted it up- and it still wasn't full.  
He put it under again, even more confused.  
This time, he waited for a solid minute. He was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, kneeling here with one hand on the water and the other in the water.

Hang on, that's something else that doesn't make sense.

As he had done previously, he had been using one hand to steady himself as he filled the waterskin. However, he hadn't been paying attention to _what_ his hand had been resting on.  
His hand was resting on the water itself... not sinking through it as it should, but resting on top as if the water was a solid object.

"...What the hell?" Pinkie muttered. "How is that even possible?"

Still reeling from shock, another facet of this unusual situation reared its ugly head. Catching a flicker of movement, Pinkie turned his head slightly and looked at his reflection. It shared his expression of concern and confusion, as you might expect.

But then, it smiled at him.  
Huh... his reflection wasn't reflecting his actions, instead, it was moving on its own... interesting.

He leapt away from the edge of the lake, screaming. He swore over and over again, cursing his bad luck that this sort of crazy stuff always seemed to happen to him. Could he not just have an ordinary journey without any bizarre incidents? Was that too much to ask?

Calming his racing heart, he approached the water's edge again. The freaky non-reflection was nowhere to be seen- only his own reflection showed on the water's surface. He gingerly reached out his hand and touched the water's surface, which was still solid as a rock.

_'This really is an odd lake,'_ he thought. All of a sudden, he had the urge to see just what this lake was capable of. His curiosity got the better of him and with barely a hesitation, he took a single step forward.

He didn't sink, but rather stood on the water's surface. With a feeling of glee, he took another step forward, then another. Before he knew it, he was standing in the centre of the lake.

He couldn't help but laugh at the craziness of it all... but even more than that, he wanted to know what came next.

"Alright," he said aloud. "This is fun and all, but all good things come in threes. Show me your last surprise."

The words had barely left his mouth when the lake decided to act. In front of Pinkie, a column of water started to rise up, as if some invisible force was stretching the surface of the lake. The column morphed and took on a human figure- his figure to be exact.

Pinkie stared at his doppelganger, who grinned impishly back at him.

"What... are you?" he asked.

The other Pinkie tilted its head to one side and raised its eyebrows in mock bewilderment.

"Well, I'm you of course," it responded. "Is that your way of saying that you don't know who _you_ are?"

It snickered, before sobering up somewhat. "Maybe you should try to work that out for yourself. It's kind of hard to live without a sense of your own identity," it continued philosophically.

"I know who I am," Pinkie snapped.

"Do you?"

Pinkie opened his mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. The snap response had put him on the back foot and he wasn't sure how to answer. Something told him that there was more to the question than met the eye.

The Reflection looked at him seriously.

"Listen," it said. "You could probably rattle off a thousand answers to that question- whether it's about your appearance or your skills, where you've been- but they're all superficial answers. Do you want to know what really makes a person who they are? It's their vision of who they want to be."

"Who I want to be?" Pinkie mused. "I don't know just yet."

"Maybe you should think about that," said the thing.

"I don't need advice from myself, thank you very much. I'll work out stuff on my own."

He stretched his hand out towards the Reflection, who mirrored his actions. The moment their hands touched, the Reflection turned liquid again and the lake's surface gave way, plunging Pinkie into the water below.

A few minutes later, a very aggravated Pinkie crawled back onto land, spluttering and coughing up water. While some people may enjoy being dropped into a large body of water unexpectedly, he was clearly not one of those people. He hadn't had enough time to get a good breath of air beforehand, the water had rushed straight up his nose and now his clothes were soaked to boot.

Overall, it was not a pleasant experience.

He raised his body temperature using his magic, causing steam to billow off him. Moments later, he was completely dry. You couldn't even tell that he'd taken an involuntary swim- aside from the fact that he was a little cleaner now than he had been.

Wasting no time, he refilled his waterskin, grabbed his pack- which he had wisely left away from the water- checked for his next destination, then set off.

* * *

Three days later, Pinkie neared his second landmark. Similar to the Lake of Perception, the name of this next destination was also a bit perplexing.

This next place was simply called: 'Temporal Anomaly', which sounded less like a name and more like a description. The problem was, while the name may or not be accurate, it didn't give him much of an indication of what to look out for. What exactly is a 'Temporal Anomaly' supposed to look like?

For this reason, Pinkie was left with no other option but to wander around roughly in the area where the landmark was supposed to be. It was getting late and he was determined to find the place before the sun started to set. However, it was proving to be tricky to find the place and before long, the sky started to grow darker.

Pinkie was starting to grow a little tired with this fruitless search and was just about to give up and call it a night when he stumbled upon something unusual. He noticed a small pocket of ground that was somewhat recessed compared to the rest of the land around. It was so subtle in fact that you couldn't see it until you were practically on top of it.

He approached the edge of the hollow and lowered himself down. The moment he did so, everything went dark.

He froze, forcing his eyes to adjust to the darkness and checked for any signs of danger. Fortunately, nothing leapt out at him as being particularly threatening.  
He looked up, half expecting to see an object of some kind blocking out the sun, but there wasn't anything that might do so.

Confused, he climbed out of the hollow. Immediately, the light of the setting sun bloomed, dazzling his oversensitized eyes.

Waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light once more, he activated his Dragonsense. The effect was immediate, as his magic revealed what his eyes had been unable to see: a flickering dome painted in swirling shades of red, green and blue. Some type of magic was at work here.

_'Interesting...'_ Pinkie thought. _'So outside of this pocket of space, it's daytime, but inside, it's dark as night.'_

He looked over to the horizon, where the sun was just about to sink out of sight. By his reckoning, he had maybe ten minutes before it disappeared entirely.

Stepping back into the dome, he sat down and waited patiently. He counted out the seconds, until just over ten minutes later, his prediction came true.

Towards the centre of the dome, a sphere of light slowly floated up out of a small pond. As it did so, it began to glow more intensely, lighting up the area. This miniature sun drifted upwards, hovering overhead.

"Cool," Pinkie said. "So when the sun outside sets, the sun inside the dome comes out. And the opposite is also true... probably anyway."

He smiled gently, pleased with himself for managing to figure it out.

As nice as this place was though, he wasn't going to be able to sleep in here with that orb of light floating around. He slipped back out again, hastily set up camp, then settled down for the night.

* * *

Pinkie woke up the next day feeling like death warmed over. He had a splitting headache, he was struggling to focus his eyes and he was having uncontrollable muscle spasms. All in all, it wasn't the most pleasant way to start the day.

Groaning in pain, he stumbled to his feet, slapping his cheeks to drive away the last of his drowsiness. He couldn't afford to let up now- not when he'd gotten so close to his destination. He just needed to get a little further, then he could finally rest.

Forcing his feet to move, he set off for his third and final landmark.

His final pitstop was the 'Ruins of Caera Boras'. According to Goldie, this once formidable citadel had been built by an ancient kingdom in order to defend their borders against a rival nation. It endured through many battles, never once falling. After many long years of skirmishes and diplomatic incidents, a political marriage between the two kingdoms finally brought peace to the realms. When the two kingdoms merged sometime later, there was no longer any need to defend this region and so, the castle was left to fall into disrepair. Or at least, that's how the legend goes anyway. Whether or not it's accurate is anyone's guess.

The castle itself had been built onto the side of a sprawling mountain range that stretched for many miles. While the mountains were all but impassable, there was allegedly a small pass that could be used to bypass the impenetrable wall of earth and stone. The fort had been strategically placed to guard this path, mean any hostile force would have to either fight their way through or to make the lengthy trek around.

As Pinkie crested a small hill, he finally caught sight of the ruins.

The castle itself had been carved out of the mountain itself and used little if any other materials. Because of this, the ruins blended in fairly well with the rest of the mountain, which was a bright shade of pearly-white. However, if you looked carefully, you could just about make out several shapes which were clearly not natural- they were all too uniform, too manmade.

Just to the side of the castle, there was a wall, albeit a fairly short one. This wall stretched from the outer wall of the castle to the edge of the mountain, uninterrupted except for a single point. This point had clearly been a doorway of sorts in the past, however, the door had either decayed over time or had been intentionally torn away, as all the remained was an archway. Beyond this archway, a small pathway snaked it's way up a steep slope, eventually leading to a crevice in the rock.

_'That's probably where I need to go,'_ Pinkie thought.

With unsteady steps, he lurched his way over to the doorway. The mountain loomed over him, obscuring the sun and casting a colossal shadow over the area. He felt an overwhelming sense of unease, as if the mountain might come to life and crush him at any moment. Even so, he never once stopped, putting one foot in front of the other until he reached the doorway.

As a wave of debilitating pain washed over him, Pinkie staggered and put one hand against the archway to steady himself. His hand began to tingle and where his palm touched the stone, a group of symbols lit up with a gentle greenish-white glow. The light gradually spread outwards, revealing a spiderweb of magical runes. The enchantment within these walls had responded to the magic within him, with the nearby runes lighting up at his touch.

He trailed his hand along the wall, watching as some runes dimmed, while others brightened.

"So there's magic even in a place like this, huh?" he muttered pensively.

He withdrew his hand and the runes grew dark. Turning his back, he walked slowly up the path and into the mountain pass.

* * *

Despite being a supposed shortcut through the mountain, this pass appeared to go on forever. That was likely in part due to the difficulty of the terrain- this pass had likely been a natural chasm originally but showed signs of having been altered to make travel easier. However, whoever had done so had only done enough to make travelling through here possible, not easy.

It may have been a strategic decision to leave it this way, in case the castle's garrison needed to make a tactical retreat. This would make it harder for an invading force to get through and an awful lot easier for a defending force to set up ambushes and prepare defences against the struggling invaders.

Certainly, the terrain didn't help, but that was not the only thing Pinkie was having to contend with: his body was beginning to break down.

When he had felt unwell earlier, he had brushed it off as just tiredness or some sort of illness. He had ignored the signs for too long, chosen to pretend that they weren't there and rationalise it away- but there was no simple explanation for what was happening to him.

He had started to lose sensation in his extremities and there was a crackling sensation flashing around his body, causing him to shiver violently. No longer able to stay upright, he slowly sank to the ground. He couldn't deny it any longer... there was something wrong with him and there was only one explanation that he could think of. All of his symptoms had come on after being hit by Goldie's magic and had gradually grown worse over time. The question is, what could he do about it? He didn't even know _why_ this was happening, let alone how to fix it.

More importantly, he was certain that if he couldn't do something about it, he would die here.

Despairing in his own helplessness, he lay still, ready for death.

Sobbing, he managed to utter just a few words before a dark fog crept into his vision.

"I'm sorry Igneel... I don't think I'm strong enough to make it through this."

* * *

After some time, it began to rain heavily. The raindrops beat against the mountains surrounding him, forming rivulets that danced down the sheer cliffs on either side, before flowing away. Pinkie lay motionless as the water brushed past him, leaching his body heat slowly. It didn't concern him though at this point, as he could barely feel the sensation of the water on his skin anyway. It did bother him, however, as it was just enough of an irritation to rouse him from the comforting abyss of sleep.

He closed his eyes again, determined to drift away again, despite the disturbances around him.

He was on the verge of unconsciousness when he became aware of something intriguing. There was a weird tension in the air and there was an odd smell, almost as if a lightning storm was passing overhead.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash and a monstrous boom loud enough to rock the heavens. Pinkie felt the impact of the sound in the pit of his stomach, realizing the origin of that noise.

Adrenaline rushed through his body, energizing him just enough that he could shakily get to his feet. He stared up at one of the mountain peaks, where a dazzling light glared down at him. With a fierce determination, he started to scale the mountain.

He slipped many times, grazed himself on the jagged rocks almost as much, but doggedly continued on regardless. Battered and bruised, he reached the top and confronted the thing that awaited him there.

The entity appeared to have no obvious form, consisting of little but a swirling mass of electrical energy. Flickering and pulsating, this thing radiated power that caused the very air to vibrate fiercely.

The being took notice of him and bellowed out a challenge, spewing out lightning in his direction. Pinkie stood strong, weathering the massive magical attack that swept over him. With one arm, he shielded his face from the mini bolts that zipped past his head.

Having issued its warning, the beast stood firm.

"I know what you are!" Pinkie declared. "There's no point hiding it."

There was a very tense moment that seemed to stretch to eternity... but eventually the beast responded.

Its form began to waver, slowly resolving into a very distinctive shape- one that Pinkie was very familiar with.

Because this _thing_... was a dragon. It did not have a physical form, as it was purely made of electricity, yet it was still unmistakable.

**"It is strange. I have encountered many of your kind over the years, human, yet I don't recall any who were resilient as yourself."**

Its voice was like a deep hum, causing each word to blend with the next. As it spoke, its words caused the air to crackle and pop intermittently.

The dragon stared down at him, considering.

**"I must come to the conclusion that perhaps... there is something more than meets the eye here. Tell me, boy, who are you? Or would it be better to say, 'what' are you?"** it asked critically.

"Me? I'm a Dragonslayer of course." Pinkie responded.

The dragon scoffed in disgust.

**"Let me guess, you've come to try and slay me, have you not? Alas, you're rather too late for that I'm afraid- my life came to an end long ago."**

"What do you mean? How can you be dead if you're still here?"

**"What you see before you** **is little more than my diminishing essence. I am like the afterimage of a lightning strike- the lightning may be long gone, but you can see it still. Yet even that afterimage will disappear eventually... this is the fate of all things and soon it will be _my_ fate."**

The dragon looked up into the sky, where thick storm clouds churned.

**"I am anchored to this spot, the place where I perished. When night comes, I roar up at the heavens and look back on a time where I could soar through the skies. This night will be the last time that I will do so."**

The dragon turned it's gaze back to Pinkie.

**"Will this be your last night also?"** it asked gravely.

"What are you talking about? I'm not about to die any time soon." Pinkie replied wearily.

**"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you. Do not try to deny it- I can sense the power growing within you now. You bear the same power that I do, yet your body is rejecting it. You must learn to control it if you wish to survive."**

"But I can't!" Pinkie protested. "I am a fire dragonslayer, I can't use lightning magic!"

**"Nonsense!"** the dragon boomed. **"You are a dragonslayer, the power you possess is beyond your wildest imagination. The whole world will bend before you if you only have the will to make it so."**

Pinkie considered his words for a moment. Without thinking, a question slipped from his lips.

"Then what do I need to do?"

The dragon grinned at him ferociously, clearly pleased with his answer.

**"You must first find what it is that you wish for above all else. Then you shall find the strength of heart to overcome all that stands in your way."**

The dragon unfurled its wings and craned its neck.

**"Behold dragonslayer, though my power is but a fraction of what it once was, I, Vahlorin, shall show you my full strength. This shall be my last hurrah, but what an end this will be! I shall leave this world with no regrets. Taste my power and embrace it, so that it might fill your very soul!"**

With those final words, the dragon gathered the rest of its remaining power into one last roar and unleashed it. Pinkie stood unflinching before the torrent of magical energy, regarding it with a steely gaze. Just before the moment of contact, he opened his mouth wide and devoured it. The magic flashed through his body, charging his cells, infusing his very bones with power. It was over in no time at all and suddenly, Vahlorin was no more. Having exhausted the last of his magic, he had passed on.

And so, Pinkie stood alone, glowing with an intense aura. The air crackled around him and electricity burst forth from his body, shooting into the sky in a great beam. Amongst the clouds, a huge chain reaction occurred, causing lightning to arc across the sky. Exhausted, Pinkie dropped to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Several miles away, on the outskirts of the lakeside city of Magnolia, a lone farmer was organising his tool to prepare for work tomorrow. He was determined to get his field into top shape before the end of the season, as soon the summer storms would be arriving.

In the distance, he heard a deep rumbling. He looked up and saw the fading flash of a lightning strike over the mountains. He eyed the thick clouds critically, then cursed.

"Well... looks like a storm is coming soon enough," he muttered. "I just hope we're ready for it."

* * *

Pinkie woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly fresh, given that he'd fallen unconscious on a mountaintop without even setting up camp. To be fair, it was probably largely due to the absence of the 'lightning sickness' as he referred to it. After absorbing Vahlorin's lightning last night, his symptoms had disappeared entirely.

A thought suddenly popped into his head. The whole point of Vahlorin's sacrifice had been to grant him control over lightning, so, had it in fact worked?

He raised one hand in front of his face and whilst channelling energy into his hand, envisioned lightning. Instantly, his hand began to spark and release electricity. It seemed fairly feeble in comparison to his flames, but it was an unfamiliar type of magic, after all, it would likely take time and training to get used to it.

He tried releasing flames from his other hand and to his surprise, found he was unable to. Try as he might, the flames just wouldn't come. He released the lightning and tried again, with success this time. Evidently, he could not use both magics at once- for the time being at least.

That was something he could work on later, however.

He gazed into the distance, where he could just about make the outline of many buildings.

Grinning with excitement, he recklessly scrambled back down the mountain, returning to the mountain pass. No longer bothering to conserve his energy, he sprinted down the last stretch of his journey.

* * *

Shortly after leaving the mountain pass, Pinkie stumbled on his first proper road. The road appeared to be made out of stone, yet it was incredibly smooth and uniform, as if someone had poured liquid stone on the ground, flattened it and then dried it out. It was also wide enough for several people to walk abreast- it was a stark contrast to the rough dirt paths he had encountered previously.

He walked along the path at a brisk pace, eager to finally reach his destination. As he grew nearer, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious. There were going to be an awful lot of people there, as Magnolia supposedly had about sixty-thousand residents. He couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like, yet he also knew that he would be seeing it all firsthand within a few minutes. His excitement continued to rise until finally, he walked through a huge gilded gateway.

He could barely restrain himself from gaping at pretty much everything he saw. From the huge building with their tiled roofs to the multitude of people and fancy clothes, everything he saw was a new experience. He yearned to see more, drinking in the sights and sounds as he wandered through the town. He continued to do so for quite a bit longer than he should before he eventually remembered that he had something he needed to do:

Reaching this place was one thing, but he needed to find some source of income that would let him support himself while he was here, as well as somewhere to stay. He was just about to ask someone for help when he overheard an interesting conversation between two men walking by.

"Did you hear what those Fairy Tail wizards got up to yesterday?" one man asked.

"Yeah, I heard they almost demolished another village." the other man responded.

"See, this is why you have to be careful with wizard guilds- you hire them for a job and they go and create havoc!"

Now, there were two words that caught Pinkie's attention there: 'hire' and 'job'. In his mind, they both equated to one thing- money. Plus, a guild for wizards sounded like a perfect place for him.

"Excuse me," he said, walking up to the two men. "Where can I find this Fairy Tail guild?"

The two men both eyed him warily.

"I would be careful if I were you kid," the first man said. "Those people are bad news. I would stay away from them."

"You didn't answer his question there, my friend," the second man said. He turned to look at Pinkie. "It's on the northmost side of town, four or five kilometres up the central path. It's a huge and quirky looking building, you can't miss it."

"Thanks," Pinkie responded simply, before running off.

During his tour of the city, he had wandered all over the place. He reckoned he could get back to the central avenue by zigzagged through a number of side streets.

Unfortunately, in his rush, he bumped into something soft and both he and the obstruction toppled over.

"Eek," squeaked the obstruction.

_'Eek?'_ Pinkie thought. _'Why did the thing I just bump into __give__ such a girly squeal?'_

He looked at the 'obstruction', realizing with a start that it was a girl- a pretty one at that. More or less his own age, she had short red hair, wore a plain white dress and had a white eyepatch over her right eye.

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to admire her further.

She leapt upwards, grabbed him by the arm and yanked him to his feet.

"Quickly, you need to run, or they'll grab you too." she hissed.

"What do you- hey, wait!" he yelled, as she dragged him after her.

He ran with her through the side streets, despite not knowing what they were running from. Neither of them knew where they were going, as they took so many turns many turns before eventually hitting a dead end.

"Damn!" the girl cursed. She grabbed his arm again. "Quick, we need to find another way around."

"Hang on," he said. "First you need to explain what's going on."

"There's no time to explain," she snapped. "We need to go before-" her eyes slipped past him, staring at something behind him.

"Crap," she cursed again.

_'Huh,'_ Pinkie thought confusedly. He followed her gaze only to see several rough looking men blocking their only exit.

"Ah," he said. "I take it these guys are after you."

"Yup," she answered simply.

"Any particular reason?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Maybe they wanted my stuff, to kidnap me and sell me off for some gold, beat me up for sport. Any of the above is good enough for people like this."

"Fair point," he answered.

"Hey!" one of the thugs called. "Are you two lovebirds done chatting yet?"

"We're not lovebirds, keep your sick fantasies to yourself," the two children answered in unison.

Pinkie turned back to the girl.

"Well, I can see two ways out of this. One messy and one clean. The first means fighting these guys, which'll take some effort. The easy way is to run."

"Nice idea there," she replied sarcastically. "Any ideas how to get around them?"

"Just one," he replied with a grin. He stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her.

"W-what do you think you're doing?!" she cried, blushing furiously.

One of the thugs made a comment along the lines of 'get a room', but Pinkie ignored him.

"All part of the plan," he said. "**Fire Dragon Rocket Jump**!"

He leapt as high as he could, flames jetting from his feet to boost his jump. Carrying the girl in his arms, he soared majestically over the wall that had blocked their way, like a superhero in flight- before promptly crashing down on the other side amongst a stinking pile of trash.

They both crawled out of the refuse, trying their best not to vomit.

"I'll give you points for getting us out of there, but did you have to drop us in such a horrible stinky mess?" the girl asked unhappily.

"I didn't mean to," Pinkie replied. "It just kinda happened that way. Actually, I was lucky it worked at all."

The girl grimaced. "Alright then. I guess I have to thank you for that."

Suddenly, they started to hear a commotion on the other side of the wall. Moments later, one of the thugs popped their heads over the wall, trying to scale it.

"Er, you can thank me later, when we've actually gotten out of this mess!" Pinkie yelled.

This time, he was the one to grab her hand and lead her away. The thugs that managed to get over the wall resumed the chase, but the two of them had a headstart now, so there was no immediate danger at first. Unfortunately, the thugs had the advantage of being older and their long legs made running a lot easier. Despite their best efforts, the thugs started to catch up again.

Pinkie used all of his senses to help navigate the paths, doing his best to avoid more dead ends and trying to get back to the main road. The thugs were on their heels when they eventually stumbled out of the dark alleyway into the light, wide open street. It seemed that they had made it just in time- surely the thugs wouldn't attempt to kidnap them in the open like this.

Apparently, Pinkie's assumption was wrong. One moment, he held the girl's hand, the next, her warmth was gone. He whipped around as fast as he could, saw one of the thugs holding the girl by the scruff of the neck, his club raised to strike her. Pinkie summoned his fire, ready to strike the man down, but he wasn't sure if he would make it in time, or if he could take him down without hurting the girl. In his moment of hesitation, the thug grinned victoriously.

"I've got you now!" he yelled.

Not to self: don't boast before achieving victory, it makes you look stupid if you fall at the last hurdle.

At that exact moment, a ball of purple fire smashed into the side of the man's face at high velocity, throwing him to one side. The rest of the thugs emerged out of the alleyway, only to be attacked by a barrage of the same fiery projectiles and a wall of smoke. Within seconds, they were all on the ground.

Pinkie raced over to the girl, who had been knocked down in the chaos.

"Are you okay?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied.

At that point, two unknown voices cut in.

"Well, that was a nice bit of exercise. Now I think I've earned myself another drink." said the first voice.

"Now, Macao, you're always coming up with some new excuse to go grab a drink, can't you just have one for the sake of it?" said the other.

"If I grabbed a drink every time I wanted one Wakaba, I'd _never_ stop drinking," joked the first man.

Pinkie and the girl turned to face their rescuers.

One man had spiky dark hair, a thin moustache and wore a long-sleeve blue shirt and pale grey trousers.

The other had brown hair with a large tuft at the front that stood out among the rest of his hair, which was comparatively short. He also wore a beige coat, an orange shirt and had a pipe that continuously poured out smoke in a rather unnatural way.

From their conversation, Pinkie worked out that their names must be Macao and Wakaba, respectively.

Finally, the two men stopped their bantering and turned to the two children.

"Are you two alright?" Macao asked. "Those guys looked like they were really gunning for ya."

"We're fine," the girl answered. "Thanks for your help."

"You're quite welcome, little lady," Wakaba responded. "I'm glad to hear we didn't jump in too late."

He glanced at the thugs, narrowing his eyes slightly and he did so.

"If you don't mind me asking, why were those guys after you?" he asked.

"We don't know," she replied. "I was on my way to the Fairy Tail guild when they just started chasing me and as I was running-" she glanced at Pinkie. "My friend here got caught up in it. It's all my fault."

"No, it's not!" Pinkie said disparagingly. "They were the ones that attacked you simply because you were there. They brought this on themselves."

She looked comforted somewhat by his words and smiled ever so slightly.

The two men glanced at each other, then eyed the two children over.

"The Fairy Tail guild, huh?" Wakaba asked curiously. "You thinking about joining up?"

They both nodded.

"Well," Macao said. "It just so happens that we're both members ourselves."

He took off his jacket and showed them his upper-right arm, where he had a strange mark.

Pinkie noticed the girl breathe in sharply.

"That's the Fairy Tail emblem alright," she said. "In that case, could I please trouble you to show us the way there?"

"Sure thing," Macao replied. He turned to Wakaba. "Alright, I'll leave you to clean up while I show these two the way, ok?"

"Huh, why am I being left to deal with this guys? I should show them the way!" Wakaba argued.

"Nuh-uh, they asked _me_ to show them, not you!"

As the discussion devolved into an argument about who should deal with the thugs, Pinkie and the girl looked on with exasperation.

* * *

Following a not-so-friendly game of rock-paper-scissors, it was decided that Macao would be the one to escort them to the guild hall. It turns out that they hadn't been too far away after all, which was a blessing of sorts- Macao kept asking them all sorts of questions that they didn't have the energy to answer right now.

'Where are you guys from?', 'Do you know any magic?' and 'Are you sure you're up for this?' were just the tip of the iceberg.

Fortunately, they arrived outside the guild hall only minutes later.

Pinkie couldn't help but think back to those two men he had met earlier that had pointed him in this direction. As he had been told, it really was a little bit quirky. It was a three-tiered pagoda style building, painted mostly in white, but with green and yellow highlights. The name of the guild was displayed in a large sign over the doorway, sandwiched between two golden fairies, adorned with tails.

"Well, here we are," Macao said, with a grand gesture. "The home of the strongest wizard guild in the kingdom, Fairy Tail."

He perked up as the door cracked open, allowing the sounds of raucous merrymaking to leak out.

"And if I'm not mistaken, that's our master coming out as we speak."

Both Pinkie and the girl stood up straighter at that remark. They were about to meet the master of the most powerful guild around, so he was surely a formidable person. They both gulped, dreading meeting this titan of a man.

The door cracked open and out walked a very short old man. He was dressed in a casual manner, with a white shirt bearing Fairy Tail's stamp and an orange hooded jacket. Additionally, he also wore matching orange shorts and an orange and blue striped jester's hat. Seeing the three of them virtually on the doorstep, he came over to greet them.

"Good afternoon, Macao, I see you have two younguns in tow. You're not going to tell me you've gone and adopted these two are you?" the man joked.

"Afternoon, Master Makarov. I just happened to bump into these two in the street. Apparently, they're looking to join the guild." Macao answered.

"Oh, they are, are they?" the old man questioned.

He looked over the two of them curiously and they looked back in a similar fashion.

_'This old man is meant to be their guildmaster?'_ Pinkie thought. _'Is this some kind of joke?'_

The old man interrupted his line of thinking with a question.

"Tell me, children. What do you think it means to be in a guild?"

The two of them look at him curiously, taken back by the question.

"I see you don't know how to answer that question," said Makarov. "Very well, let me tell you what I think about the matter."

He cleared his throat, then continued on.

"A guild is a place where a group of like-minded people can come together to find work and make a living, so that they may be able to live life to the fullest. However, I am of the opinion that a guild needs to be more than that."

His face softened slightly and his words took on a wistful tone.

"Often, the people who come our way are lost, trying to find their own place in this life. In Fairy Tail, we hope to be a place where people feel like they belong, no matter their circumstances. We endeavour to make it so that everyone who comes here feels like that they are home, that they are part of a family."

That last word struck a chord within Pinkie.

_'Family...'_ he thought. _'That would be... nice.'_

"Anyway, that's how I feel on the matter," Makarov concluded. "The question is, does a place like that appeal to you? Do you feel like you could belong here?"

Without a hint of hesitation, they both nodded.

Makarov smiled warmly.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said. "In that case, I believe some introductions are in order. You already heard my name from Macao here, but I will introduce myself properly regardless. I am Makarov Dreyar, master of the Fairy Tail guild."

The girl spoke up next, in a clear strong voice.

"My name is Erza Scarlet."

"Erza Scarlet? That's a lovely name," Makarov mused. Then he turned to Pinkie. "And what's your name, my boy?"

"...Natsu... Natsu Dragneel."

"Excellent," Makarov exclaimed. "Now that's sorted, let's deal with the ceremony then, shall we? Erza... Natsu... by my power as a guildmaster, I hereby accept you into our family."

"Welcome... to Fairy Tail."

* * *

**And there we go... after all this time, our crazy flame-brain has finally reached Fairy Tail. I'm so glad I can stop calling him 'Pinkie' from now on. Can you believe that I had originally wanted to write all that's happened so far in one chapter? Jeez, that was a bit ambitious. Anyway, onto more important things.**

**I now have to make some pretty important decisions regarding the creative direction I take the story in. Because I enjoy writing for you guys, I want you to have the opportunity to influence the story somewhat so that it ends up being something that you want too.**  
**For this reason, I am going to try and put up two polls in a short while. **

**The first will be regarding the members of Natsu's harem, as well as whether or not to include other pairings/ships.**

**The second will be regarding Natsu's childhood events.**  
**I imagine that there are plenty of people who are eager to start the main story (i.e. episode 1, where Lucy and Natsu meet).**  
**There are also certain childhood events that we see in flashbacks- for example, Natsu and Lisanna raising Happy together, the Lisanna incident(s) etc.**  
**I also have a few ideas about original stories that I could write about Natsu as a child to flesh out his backstory and his quest to find Igneel. These would essentially be 'filler' chapters.**

**So for this second part, I can do one of 3 things:**

**(a) Timeskip to X874 when Natsu and Lucy meet**  
**(b) Timeskip to X874 but include flashback events involving Lisanna and Happy**  
**(c) Include my own original chapters for additional Natsu backstory and new content**

**EDIT: There are now three polls for you to vote in regarding the above things. Unfortunately, I can only display one poll at a time on my profile, but I have made a forum which has all three polls in it. You can find it in my profile.**

**I will probably take a break for a few days after this to give people a chance to vote and stuff.**

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, make sure to check out the polls, leave a review or PM me if you have any requests for suggestions. Until later.**


	7. Chapter 6 Bridge - Welcome to the family

**Ok, so I know I said I was going to take a small break when I uploaded the last chapter. You may be wondering why I'm suddenly here with a new chapter now, less than a week later.**

**Well, there's a good reason for that. I mentioned in the last chapter that I was going to upload some polls for you to vote on so you could help influence the story. It took me a couple of days to do that, but I got around to it in the end. Unfortunately, I discovered that I can only actively display one poll on my profile page at a time. As I had three polls up and running, this was a bit of a problem.**

**So, I created a forum containing all of my polls. I figured the best way to let you guys know about the forum was to just upload a new chapter, hence this surprise upload.**

**For those of you who are interested in voting on my polls, you can find the link at the bottom of my profile page.**

**Anyway, onto something else:**

**I would like to say a huge thank you to you guys who left reviews after the last chapter- it was amazing to hear you liked it so much and honestly it means a lot.**

**Cake Dragon also asked me a very interesting question in his review and that was whether or not I plan on giving Natsu any other magics, or just sticking to his canon powers.**

**The short answer is, I had planned on expanding on the powers that he already possessed as a Dragonslayer and giving him new abilities within that type of magic, but I had not intended on giving him any other types. However, the question has intrigued me and I have consequently spent the last couple of days thinking up potential magics that I could give him.**

**If you want the long answer, I'll write it at the end to avoid making this intro too long.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 6.5 (a sorta bridge between chapter 6 and 7) and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Welcome to Fairy Tail,"

Those words filled Natsu with an overwhelming mix of emotions. Joy, hope and anxiety intermingled in an odd blend of emotions that left him questioning whether or not he'd made the right decision. But before he had a chance to back out of it, Makarov was already opening the guild hall's doors.

Instantaneously, a wave of sound washed over him. It was the sound of many people engaging in mad revelry, though he had no idea as to what their source of entertainment was. Natsu and Erza tailed Makarov as he entered the building, pausing just inside the entrance. The two of them took a good look around the room, trying to take it all in.

The room that they had just entered was similar to a large lunch hall consisting mainly of wood, with a brick-style parquet floor. Several large columns stretched upwards, supporting the high ceiling.

Against the far wall was a long bar, which was being tended to by several waiting staff.

To the left of the bar was a large notice board of some kind, while on the right was a doorway, which appeared to be the entrance to a corridor of sorts, though he could not tell what lay beyond.

Above the bar was a large mezzanine, which was supported by wooden beams. There appeared to be three staircases leading up to the mezzanine- one against the leftmost wall, one against the right wall and another behind the bar itself.

Additionally, the room was decorated with bookcases and sideboards against the walls, as well as several potted plants.

The room was packed full of people, many of whom were chatting enthusiastically and some drinking even more enthusiastically. Most of the people sat at one of the tables that were distributed evenly around the room, though some had decided to be general nuisances by standing, often in inconvenient places.

Makarov carefully led the two of them across the room to the bar, doing his best to avoid any obstacles. Some of the guild members glanced their way in interest as they passed- evidently they were intrigued by these two newcomers, who were both incredibly young. For the most part, however, the partygoers were too absorbed in their conversations to notice Natsu and Erza's entrance.

Makarov gestured to the bar, indicating that the two of them should take a seat.

"Wait here a moment, if you would," he said. "I need to go and prepare some paperwork to complete your registration. I will return momentarily."

The two of them nodded in understanding and climbed onto the stools, albeit with some difficulty due to the height of the stools and their own short stature. The old man turned to one of the young men working behind the bar.

"Roland, please take care of these two young ones for me for a bit. Be sure to offer them something to eat and drink... they look like they need it."

The young man replied in assent and Makarov disappeared down the corridor. The waiter bustled over to them a few moments later.

"Ok then," he said. "Can I get you anything?"

"Ooh ooh!" hooted Natsu enthusiastically, throwing one hand into the air. "I want meat! The bigger it is, the better."

Erza looked appalled at his lack of composure.

"Geez, there's no need to act like a starved monkey," she said, crossing her arms. "You need to learn to reign in your stomach."

At that moment, a horrendous sound similar to a dying animal ripped through the air. Neither Natsu or the waiter knew what to make of it at first and Erza didn't really react, except for a slight blush. Finally cottoning on, Natsu gazed at her for a few seconds in amazement, before bursting into a cheeky grin.

"Speaking of stomachs, I think yours is trying to tell you something," he said teasingly.

Erza cleared her throat, not bothering to offer a response.

"As I'm not particularly hungry-" she lied, throwing in a sharp side-long glace for added emphasis. "I'll just have soup or something just as light. And tea, if you have it."

"Sure thing," replied the waiter. "Coming right up."

Without further ado, he went off to inform the cook, leaving Natsu and Erza to chat awkwardly.

* * *

When the waiter said 'coming right up', he really meant it- the food was cooked and served it barely any time at all. The moment the steaming plate of food was placed in front of Natsu, his eyes glazed over. This majestic sight in front of him was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and the delectable scent alone was enough to make his tastebuds tingle, though he had yet to take a single bite.

"Hey, waiter... what is this thing?" he asked in a daze.

"It's smoked Bodhras ribs," came the answer.

Bodhras, huh? Last time Natsu had tasted this creature, it had been the most delicious thing he had ever eaten... but this dish had been prepared in an actual kitchen, by professional cooks who weren't limited to a handful of ingredients. The thought alone was already enough to make him salivate.

His thoughts were interrupted by Erza, who leaned towards him, tucking a napkin into his shirt.

"Jeez, if you're going to drool, at least make sure you don't get it all over yourself." she scolded. Then her expression softened slightly. "To be fair though, it does look pretty good." she conceded. "What do you say, should we dig in?"

Natsu did not need a second invitation- he ravenously starting tearing his food to pieces, while Erza elected to sip her soup in a much more graceful manner.

The meat did not last very long and was all but decimated within a few minutes. Before he had the chance to finish it off completely, however, he was distracted by a nearby conversation that started to flare up into an argument. He and Erza both turned to watch the two men, who were getting all up in each other's face, yelling loudly.

Erza had a complicated look on her face.

"This isn't what I was expecting this place to be like..." she muttered.

"Huh, what makes you say that?" Natsu asked.

She jerked in surprise- clearly, she had not intended to say that aloud.

"Oh, it's nothing..." she began to said evasively. Then she gulped.

"The truth is..." she said with difficulty. "I knew someone who was part of this guild once. It's because of him that I'm here today."

Natsu wasn't quite sure what she meant by that but could tell that she wasn't comfortable with this line of conversation, so he didn't push it any further. Meanwhile, the argument had turned into an all-out fight, which was starting to disturb others around them. Every time someone's drink was knocked or someone was bumped, the now-disgruntled partygoer would stand up and join in the fight. Soon, it seemed like nearly everyone had been drawn into this mad brawl and the entire guild had descended into complete and utter chaos.

Natsu couldn't help but grin at the sight.

"Well, this may not have been what you were expecting," he said. "But this is definitely my kinda place!"

He thought for a moment, before finally coming to a decision.

"Alright!" he said, leaping from his stool and cracking his knuckles. "I'm going in."

"What?! You can't-" Erza started to protest, but Natsu interrupted her with a 'wish me luck' and leapt into the fray.

Glancing between her food and the fight behind her, Erza was left to make to make a difficult decision. She put her spoon down with a sigh and climbed off her stool.

"Guess it's up to me to make sure you don't get hurt," she groaned.

She rolled her shoulders and neck in a basic stretch and chased after him.

* * *

Natsu dashed through the mob of people, throwing out strikes everywhere he went. People cried out as he flashed by them unseen, delivering pain with precision strikes. He grinned excitedly- it had been too long since he'd had a good fight and he definitely appreciated having the chance to fool around a little.

As wrapped up in the fight as he was, he got a little too distracted and something collided with the back of his head with incredible force. He toppled to the floor, face up and groaning in pain. Dazed as he was, he could just about make out another voice doing the same.

He flew back up, brandishing his fist in outrage and the young boy who lay sprawled out on the floor.

"Hey," he yelled. "Watch where you're going!"

The young boy in question- who looked to be the same age as him- gave him a distasteful look, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. He had dark spiky hair and his expression was stern, his dark blue eyes staring almost emotionlessly. Rather disturbingly, he only wore two articles of clothing: a pair of dark blue boxer shorts and a sword-shaped necklace. He bore the guild's emblem on his right pec in a deep black colour.

The boy stood up and squared up to Natsu.

"Watch where I'm going, huh?" the boy's eyes were far from expressionless now- instead they were filled with an icy rage. "How about _you_ watch where you're going, Pinkie!"

'Oh, we are _sooo_ not going back to that nickname,' Pinkie thought.

"Why should I? You're the one that bumped into me!" he argued.

"Well, I disagree. You're just too stupid to watch where you're going!"

The two boys butted heads, neither willing to back down from this standoff.

"Well, you know what they say..." said Natsu with a threatening smile. "When you can't settle an argument with words, use your fists."

"Couldn't agree more," the boy replied.

With these words, the two boys shoved each other, leaping backwards and dropping into a fighting stance. Natsu summoned his fire, enveloping his fists in flames. He enabled his Dragonsense, watching the boy and his magic very carefully.

His opponent turned side on, dropping down into a wide stance. He fanned the fingers on his left hand and- clenching his other hand- planted the knuckles of his right hand into the palm of his left. His hands began to glow with a soft blue colour and a cool breath of air brushed against Natsu's hypersensitized skin.

All of this was pretty impressive by itself- it was clear that this boy had a good technique and his magic itself was remarkable. However, it was even more so to Natsu, who was able to see into the magical spectrum through his Dragonsense. Magic was emanating from the boy's entire body, sweeping across his skin in waves and concentrating on his hands, where the magic pulsed outwards. He was clearly using some variety of caster magic, channelling energy through his body and then focusing it in his hands. Given the aura that he was giving off, he was most likely a practitioner of ice magic. No wonder the air was swirling around him- his magic was cooling the air around him and messing with the air pressure.

Fortunately, ice wasn't a problem for Natsu. Already sure of his victory, his grin widened further. He increased his flames and willed his body temperature to rise, then prepared to launch himself at his target.

But then a hand shot out and grabbed him by the hair, yanking him backwards. Yelping in pain, he tried to pry off the hand that held him with a vice-like grip. A face came into view- it was Erza's... and her expression made his blood run cold.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she demanded coldly. "You only just got here and you're trying to start a fight? If I didn't know any better I'd say you're _trying_ to get kicked out."

He tried to protest, but in the face of all her anger, all he could do was swallow his words. He glared bitterly past her to the boy, who was also being held in check by another guildmate. A young girl had stepped through the mass of people and was now standing in front of the boy, telling him off in a stern voice. He clearly wasn't very happy to be berated so, but like Natsu, restrained himself from taking things any further.

"Gray, you really need to learn to be nicer to people," she said.

"Why should I?" the boy responded coolly. "He was the one who bumped into me."

"That's not the point! These things happen and you should accept that instead of fighting over an accident," she argued. "Now go and cool off, before you do something you'll regret later."

The boy named Gray tsked rudely, threw one last glare at Natsu, then turned around and walked away nonchalantly.

"And go put some clothes on!" the girl shouted after him.

Gray glanced down at his almost-naked body and nearly jumped out of his skin in shock- had he really not noticed he was wearing nothing but his underwear? He then ran off, presumably to try and find some clothes. Nodding her head in satisfaction, the girl turned towards them.

She began to approach them and as Erza finally released Natsu from his headlock, the two of them both turned to greet her.

The sweet-looking girl wore a sleeveless orange sundress and a pair of red sandals. She wore her dark brown hair in a ponytail, with two shoulder-length strands framing her face. She smiled at them apologetically, squinting her amethyst coloured eyes in an expression of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry about Gray, he can be a bit crabby sometimes," she said.

Feeling a little awkward that this girl was apologizing to him on someone else's behalf, Natsu shrugged it off.

"It's no big deal I guess. No harm done and all that," he said.

The girl smiled, clearly delighted that he had chosen to overlook the incident.

"I'm glad to hear it. My name's Cana- Cana Alberona. It's nice to meet the two of you."

The two of them didn't get the chance to introduce themselves, as at that point, Master Makarov entered the room again. The moment he laid eyes on the sprawling battle raging within his own guildhall, he froze. Natsu caught sight of the old man across the room and knew instantly that he- and everyone else here- was in grave danger.

It began as a quiet rumble- the ground quivered gently, but gradually the vibrations built up and built up into a violent crescendo. Dust rained from the ceiling and the building began to groan as it was slowly torn to pieces. The fight had ground to a halt, as the guild members were cowed into submission by this display of pure power.

The quake subsided and everything settled. All eyes were on Makarov, who remained motionless.

"Now, I see that I have your attention..." he said quietly. "Very good, as there is something that I'd like to say."

He took a deep breath, held it for a mere second.

"You're all nothing but a bunch of brainless morons!" he boomed. "How many times do I have to say it? No mindless brawls in the guild! I am sick of having to deal with noise complaints and costs for damages, it's enough to give me a migraine!"

Everyone flinched at the sudden outburst, half expecting Makarov to continue on a long tirade. Instead, he merely breathed in and out a few times, before visibly calming down.

"Now," he said. "On a more positive note, I am delighted to deliver you some good news."

He jumped, arcing through the air in an impossible leap and landed on the railing of the mezzanine. He pointed out Natsu and Erza in the crowd and declared:

"Please give a warm welcome to Natsu and Erza, the newest additions to the Fairy Tail family."

The rest of the guild finally became aware of the two kids and cheered enthusiastically. The two of them acknowledged the cheering awkwardly, both feeling uncomfortable about being the centre of so many people's attention. Makarov dropped down from the railing and walked up to the two of them.

"Now, I guess it's time for the two of you to introduce yourselves formally... but how about we spice things up a bit?" he said.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked, confused.

"It would be easy enough to introduce yourselves with words- a few scant sentences would enough to give someone a basic idea of who you are. But I feel that actions speak louder than words and the way a person fights will tell you more about them than a few words ever could."

He gave them both a serious once-over.

"Some come here to learn magic so that they might make use of it in their daily lives. Others come here with these skills already in hand, looking to expand their knowledge or to find a purpose for the skills they hold. I get the distinct impression that the two of you are here for the latter reason- there is an aura about you that is unmistakable. And if that is the case, perhaps you can show us what it is that you can do... so we might come to understand who you are inside. What do you say?"

Natsu and Erza gave each other a glance, conferring without words. Then together, they gave a nod.

"Excellent," Makarov said. "Let's go outside then, shall we?"

With those words, he led them out to the back of the guild hall, where there was a small courtyard. He turned to explain to them what he wanted them to do, while the eighty or so guild members present gathered around them in a circle.

"Right then. I shall pick out a partner for you each for you to have a little sparring match with. You won't need to worry about hurting them- I shall make sure to select skilled members, so just give it all you've got."

He turned to the curious onlookers, his eyes drifting over them thoughtfully. After a few seconds, he called out.

"Reedus, would you mind being the young lady's partner for this exercise?"

"Oui."

A balloon-shaped man stepped- or more accurately- forced his way through the crowd. The unusually tall and round man sported curly, light orange hair and wore a black pointy hat that bent over halfway up its length.

"It's nice to meet you, little lady," the man said in his unusual accent. "The name's Reedus. I use Pict magic, which means I can make my paintings come to life. Be warned though, while they may be paintings, they can still hurt you."

"Are our two combatants ready?" Makarov asked.

Erza gave a nod, while Reedus uttered a 'oui'.

Makarov counted down from three, then declared the start of the fight.

Instantly, Erza flung her hand out, fingers spread wide. In a flash of light, a simplistic sword sprang into existence, making the crowd cry out in astonishment. She dashed towards her opponent, readying her sword for a powerful attack. She was fast- but Reedus was even faster. Before Erza had the chance to close the distance, he finished the doodle he had been scrawling on his white shirt. The drawing disappeared a mere fraction of a second before a great mass hurled itself away, barreling straight towards Erza.

She dodged backwards, just about evading the attack from the monster that had appeared out of nowhere. She faced off against the figure that Reedus had brought to life- a great big bear-like creature. She held her sword ready, prepared for its next attack.

She didn't have to wait long. It charged towards her recklessly, which proved to be its undoing. She feinted to the left, slipped to the right and struck out at the creature's side. It simply wasn't nimble enough to outmanoeuvre her and her blow struck true, shearing it in half. Erza advanced on Reedus again but was intercepted once more by another of the man's drawings.

The rest of the fight continued on in a similar fashion. While it was clear that Erza had talent, she wasn't able to evade Reedus' paintings and strike at him directly. It wasn't enough to dispatch the paintings either, as, by the time she did so, he would have another beast at the ready. Erza continued on for several more minutes, before eventually growing tired. Makarov called for the fight to end and both combatants let go of their magic. The crowd cheered heartily- though Erza hadn't won the bout, she had definitely put a good show in.

"Excellent, excellent!" Makarov exclaimed. "Not bad at all. It's clear that you have a lot of potential."

Erza bowed her head, hiding her embarrassment. Though Natsu also had the feeling that she was disappointed in herself for not winning.

"Well then, should we continue with the second match?" Makarov proposed.

The crowd roared with approval and Natsu stepped up to the plate. Once again, Makarov glanced over the crowd, who hushed in anticipation. Just as he seemed about to pick someone out though, someone stepped forward.

"Pardon me, master, but could I fight the kid?"

"...Macao? I guess you can, but why the special interest?" the master blurted in surprise.

Macao turned to Natsu.

"I could be wrong," he said. "But I believe you happen to be a fire wizard too, am I right?"

Natsu nodded and the crowd murmured in interest. It wasn't often they got to see two wizards with the same magic fight each other.

"I see," Makarov muttered. "I would seem to be a good matchup then. Very well, I'll allow it."

"Thank you, master."

Again, the two combatants face off as Makarov counted down.

"Fight!"

Without hesitation, Macao shot of a purple projectile towards Natsu's face. More than prepared for the attack, Natsu dashed forwards and to the right, slipping past the attack. He analyzed Macao's attack with his Dragonsight, looking for insight and saw something peculiar. Rather than being a projectile as he had initially thought, the attack was actually more like a fire spear- even now, the fire was still in contact with Macao's fingertips. Additionally, while the attack had travelled directly towards him, the magic energy wasn't all travelling in one direction, but rather fluctuated up and down the length of the attack.

Suddenly sensing danger, Natsu leapt upwards, narrowly dodging the attack that had struck at him from behind.

_'I see,'_ he thought.

It wasn't a spear, but rather a whip of fire. Though the initial attack had missed, Macao had been able to control the fire and make it snake around to strike Natsu in the back. Clever, if a bit sneaky. Not that such tactics would do him any good.

Natsu's jump hadn't been random, but instead perfectly calculated. Landing just within striking distance of Macao, he ignited his heel and with an arcing kick, severed the flame whip, before dropping a high kick down towards Macao's head. The man blocked the attack with his forearms, albeit barely, before forcing Nastu back. The boy used the force of the push to flip backwards and- still airborne- threw a small bolt of lightning. The attack struck the man, doing no damage, but causing him to flinch from the shock. Natsu exploited the opening mercilessly, throwing a flame spear of his own.

The attack rocketed towards Macao, who hastily raised his hands, conjuring up a flame shield. He was able to block the attack to some extent, but even so, he still sustained some minor burns of his hands. Wincing in pain, he nodded to his opponent.

"Not bad, kid," he said. "You've definitely got some spunk... but let's see how you handle this!"

He gathered a great ball of his purple fire in his hands and flung it out towards Natsu. The crowd's roars of enthusiasm turned to cries of horror as the boy was enveloped by the flames, disappearing from view.

"Oh no... what have I done?" Macao muttered miserably. "I might have just killed him."

He clapped his hand to his mouth, sickened.

"Oh wow... this is some pretty tasty fire you've got here!"

He looked up in shock, watched his flames disappear, revealing the young boy standing untouched within. Natsu sucked up the rest of the flames and belched loudly, much to everyone's amazement.

"That was a pretty tasty snack... now I've got a _real_ fire in my belly." Natsu said, grinning widely. "Let's finish this."

He widened his stance, tilted his head back and inhaled deeply.

**"Fire Dragon..."**

His head snapped forwards, his eyes gleaming fiercely. And he cried out.

**"Roar!"**

He exhaled a great cone of fire, a pure tumultuous storm of destruction. Macao dodged the attack, barely, but the wall he had been standing in front of disintegrated before the explosive force of the spell.

The crowd went silent, shocked beyond all measure. Then they roared with applause- what else could they do? They had just witnessed something incredible.

As the crowd rushed to congratulate the boy, Makarov watched him with a grimace.

_'A Dragonslayer, eh?'_ he thought.

Somehow, he just knew that this boy was going to cause him a lot of problems in the future.

* * *

**And there we go for chapter 6.5... while it wasn't as long as chapter 6, it's still longer than chapter 5 at least. Not bad for something I threw together to act as a simple notification.**

**Unless you want to hear more about my ideas for giving Natsu some additional magic, that's everything from me. If you're interested though, feel free to read on, I'll give you an idea of my plans while trying not to spoil anything.**

**Ok, so I'm hesitant to just give Natsu more types of magic, because not only does learning them take a lot of time and effort- which will just make him less specialised and therefore weaker in areas of magic where he should excel- I feel that to be able to learn a certain type of magic, you must be able to adopt a certain mindset.**

**Natsu is very much a blunt force kinda guy, even in this story where he's a little smarter, so learning many types of magic or more intricate types of magic doesn't sound like it'd work very well. Maybe he can learn some very basics in other types of magic.**

**I also don't want to give him the same magic type as another wizard, particularly a Fairy Tail wizard. So yes, I COULD give him requip magic, but that's Erza's territory, so that's a no-go.**

**What I can try and do is give him some specialized Dragonslayer abilities, or a completely new type of magic. I've so far come up with about 15 types of magic that as far as I know, aren't included in this series, or any other that really comes to mind. So I may give Natsu one or two of these if I can find something that would compliment his current abilities.**

**Anyway, you'll just have to keep reading if you want to find out! Until later. **


	8. Chapter 7 - Learning the Ropes

**Aaaaand finally, after spending far too much time on it, here's chapter 7. I did take a break for a few days after uploading chapter 6.5, but even so, it's been far too long since I last uploaded. But I'm not going to ramble on too much- I'll do that at the end of the chapter instead. So, enjoy! **

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this barren heart of mine  
So cold and empty without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

-July 28th, X777-

Until recently, Natsu had believed that he had lived through the worst possible torment that a person could go through. He had endured the feelings of loneliness that stemmed from not knowing his own family. He had spent many hard years of training with Igneel and- while those years had been full of incredible memories- he had suffered many injuries and been pushed to his limits on an almost daily basis. Then one day, Igneel had abandoned him, forcing him to go on a long and treacherous journey where he had almost died more than once. Despite that, when all was said and done, those trials paled in comparison to being forced to sit through one of Master Makarov's lectures.

"Urgh," Natsu groaned. "How is it possible to get such a bad headache from listening to someone talk?"

He sat at one of the large tables in a somewhat more secluded area of the guild hall. Plonking his elbows on the table, he buried his face in his hands, massaging his temples. Having just delivered one of his longwinded rants, the master had excused himself temporarily, granting the young man a short reprieve from the headache-inducing speeches.

"This really isn't as bad as you're making it out to be. The Master is just teaching us about what it means to be part of the guild."

Natsu glanced to his side, where a very prim and proper looking Erza shared his bench. She sipped sparingly from her cup of water, appearing somewhat more composed than he was, to say the very least. She had been graciously gifted a change of clothes following their arrival and aside from the eyepatch which she still wore, Natsu couldn't deny that the rest of it was a great improvement over her original attire. Gone was her tattered white dress, replaced instead with a thigh length sage-coloured tunic that was tightly cinched at the waist by a plain belt. The simple sword that she had used during her fight with Reedus now hung at her side in a sheath. For her lower half, she wore black hose and calf length brown hide boots. With a simple change of clothing, she had gone from looking like an impoverished street urchin to a dignified- if somewhat masculine- young lady.

She placed her cup down on the table gently, before continuing in her vein of thought.

"Anyway, it's important that we learn what is expected of us from now on," she said. "We have a lot of responsibility on our shoulders to do what is best for the people of Fiore, so we need to make sure we're up to the job before we go diving in."

"I get that, I do," Natsu said. "But does the Master really have to spend three days telling us all the rules? There must be a better way of teaching us this stuff."

"Maybe there is," Erza replied. "But if there is, we have yet to find it. So for now, you just need to listen closely and let it sink in."

And that was the crux of the matter- whatever the two of them did from now on would reflect on the guild itself. As representatives of the guild, their actions, whether good or bad, would have an effect not just on themselves but on the whole of Fairy Tail. So for the sakes of everyone's livelihood, the two of them had to learn how to conduct themselves appropriately in the public eye, or everyone else would suffer for it.

Natsu grimaced, but ultimately speaking, he knew that this was necessary. It was for this reason that he sat through the lessons, doing his best to memorize all the information. It didn't mean that he liked it though. However, there was one that made it all worth it all worth it. He lowered his arms onto the table and put his left hand to the muscled part of his right shoulder. It was there that he had chosen to have the guild's emblem imprinted onto him. It was a symbol of his newfound connection with the guild and he couldn't help but smile, knowing that he was now a part of something bigger than himself.

Snapping out of his reverie, he realized that Erza was giving him an odd look.

"What?" he asked her.

"Nothing... I'm just glad you've lightened up a bit."

"'Lightened up'? I wasn't feeling down to begin with," he denied, blushing slightly. "Nothing gets me down."

"If you say so," she conceded.

Embarrassed that Erza had managed to see through him like that, Natsu deliberately looked anywhere and everywhere except at her. They sat in awkward silence until Master Makarov finally returned a few minutes later, simultaneously instilling Natsu with a sense of relief and dread.

Rather than sitting himself at the table once more, the old man remained standing.

"My apologies for the long wait," Makarov said. "Are the two of you ready to continue with your training?"

"Sure, I'm ready for your next lesson!" Natsu replied with forced enthusiasm.

The old man raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I'm glad to hear that you're so enthralled by my lectures," he said. "However, I had something different in mind."

Both Natsu and Erza looked at him in confusion, but he was quick to clarify.

"I have prattled on long enough about a guild wizard's code of conduct long enough, I think. I've told you everything you need to know for now and as for the rest, you will pick that up over time. I feel that now it's time for you to go and get some field experience... with your first job."

Makarov had held their attention before, but now he definitely had their interest. Erza was the first to respond.

"I have to say, that does sound interesting," she started. "But isn't it too soon? I mean, we've only been here for three days."

"I appreciate your concerns, child," Makarov replied. "But don't worry, I'm not just going to throw you in at the deep end... I have already asked two other guild members to accompany you on this job. It'll be their job to walk you through the process and make sure everything goes smoothly. If you have no objections to the matter, you can depart immediately."

He looked at them questioningly while the two of them mulled it over.

"Well, I'm fine with it," Natsu responded.

"I can't say I'm particularly against it either," added Erza.

"Excellent," said Makarov. "Let's go meet up with the other two then. And then you can, as the saying goes, 'get this show on the road'."

And so the two of them followed the old man to the guild entrance, where their two escorts were waiting.

* * *

For perhaps the first time since he had joined the guild, Natsu strolled through the streets of Magnolia. It felt a little odd to be casually walking like this, as his previous experiences in this town hadn't been great so far. His and Erza's panicked flight upon his arrival in this town was still fresh in his mind and apart from that, the only other times he'd been outside the guild hall was for the brief journey to and from the guild's male dormitory, the aptly named 'Fairy Sanctum'. As a side note, there is a legend about the place- it is said that since its construction in the year X691, the building had remained in perfect condition, not even once needing to be repaired. When a group of dark wizards attempted to take over the town forty years ago, many of the town's residents had taken shelter in the dormitory, along with several members of the guild. Despite laying siege to the building for several days, the dark wizards were unable to so much as scratch the walls. Eventually, news of the attack reached the Magic Council, who dispatched a military group to the town. Together, the members of Fairy Tail, along with the so-called 'Rune Knights' of the Magic Council, managed to deal with the attackers, imprisoning many of them and driving away the rest.

As Natsu had only just joined the guild and didn't have the funds to stand on his own feet yet, the guild had kindly lent him a spare room in the dorms for the time being. Erza likewise had been lent a room in the guild's female dormitory, Fairy Hills. However, they weren't on their way there now- instead, they were going to meet the client for this job.

The party of four wandered up through one of the main streets, heading north towards Kardia Cathedral. It was a lovely summer day and Magnolia itself was a lively and bustling town full of friendly people. Ordinarily, today would have made for a very pleasant stroll- it was the company itself that ruined things for Natsu.

The first of the two companions that Master Makarov had selected for them was Cana. Now, Natsu had no objections about working with Cana, as she was quite a likeable girl. The two of them had spoken on several occasions since he had joined the guild and it had always made for a fun time.

However, Natsu was more than upset with the second selection... as the Master had apparently decided that the ever irritating Gray would be the best person to complete this team.

"Curse my luck," Natu complained. "I just had to be teamed up with Mr Frosty."

"I don't like it any more than you do, flame brain," Gray snapped back. "But the Master asked me to babysit you, so here I am."

"I don't need anyone to babysit me!" Natsu sneered, getting up in the other's face. "So why don't you just disappear and leave it to us?"

"Would if I could, but orders are orders," Gray argued. "So like it or not, I'm sticking around."

"Hey, focus you two!" Erza barked, clutching the hilt of her sword tightly. "We have a job to do, now chill out before I'm forced to do something drastic."

Seeing the sense in her words, the two boys backed off, but not without trading one last hostile glance. The two girls exchanged a look of exasperation before Cana spoke up to grab everyone's attention.

"Erza's right. The client's waiting for us, so let's get going."

With those words, she led the way once more, leaving the rest of them to follow at her heels.

"I should probably explain more about how jobs work at the guild," said Cana, looking over shoulder at Natsu and Erza. "First of all, when a person or group of people want someone to do a job for them, they must put in a request at one or more guilds. The job request is then advertised and made available to any members that want to take on the job. When someone accepts a job request, we send a messenger to the client, along with some important documents, to inform them that someone is on their way. Then it's just a matter of completing the job and waiting for the client to send your reward to the guild for you to claim."

"I see," Erza exclaimed. "Could any member of the guild accept any job then?"

"Well... not just any job," Cana said with difficulty. "I don't know how they manage things in other guilds, but in Fairy Tail, there are some jobs that are off limits unless you have a specific rank. Some jobs are quite harmless, whereas others have a level of risk. But there are some that are so dangerous than even the smallest mistake could get you killed."

She grimaced at this but continued anyway.

"We refer to these jobs as 'S-Class' jobs and only S-Class wizards are allowed to accept them. Each year, the Master decides who he thinks is ready to become an S-Class wizard and the candidates then compete in a series of tests called the S-Class Promotion Trial, which he runs each year. If you're successful, you become an S-Class wizard and can then take on the S-Class jobs- however, there can only be one successful candidate each year, so it's really difficult to make it. On top of that, there are even higher job ranks that only experienced S-Class wizards can take on."

She flashed a tense-looking smile in their direction.

"I don't think we'll be ready for anything like that for a while though, so it's best not to think too much about it too much."

"Yes, it'd be far better to focus on the job we have at the moment," Erza said. "...Actually, now that I think about it, what is this job?"

"The local blacksmith has asked for us to search for a missing delivery," Gray interjected. "He didn't specify what it was exactly, but apparently it was important."

Natsu and Erza both nodded in understanding. In hindsight, they should probably have asked about it sooner, but better late than never. The group crossed over a bridge that spanned the canal and found themselves outside the blacksmith's shop. Over the doorway hung a sign with a sword and shield engraved on it and underneath were the words "Fire and Arms Blacksmith Shoppe". Without any further hesitation, they went inside.

The inside of the shop was highly cluttered, yet orderly, with weapons and armour of every type on display wherever you looked. A single chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, thoroughly lighting up the small room. Towards the back left corner of the room there was a counter and behind that, a doorway that presumably led to the forge area, given the loud clattering that could be heard from there.

Cana called out and the noises stopped abruptly. They heard the sound of heavy footsteps and a few seconds later, a very burly looking man with dark hair and a thick beard emerged from out the back. His face was weathered and covered with a thin veneer of sweat- perhaps as a result of his demanding job, but more likely due to stress, which was evident on his face. He wore a loose white shirt and a long leather apron, presumably to protect himself from the heat of the fire. The man took notice of them and put on his best welcoming face, though he was unable to completely mask the stress he was apparently feeling right now.

"Welcome, come on in," the man said in a gruff voice. "Are you young fellows looking for anything in particular, or just looking to browse?"

"Actually, we have a good reason for coming today," Cana answered. "We're looking for the blacksmith. Am I right in thinking that you're him?"

"You are indeed," the man replied, raising his eyebrows in a gesture of mild surprise. "My name's Johan Iphrett and I'm the owner and master blacksmith of this establishment. Do you have some business with me?"

Cana nodded and replied in a respectful tone. "Yes, sir. We're wizards from the Fairy Tail guild. I believe you recently put in a job request regarding a missing delivery?"

The man appeared shocked and shot a number of quick glances at the four of them. "Eh, you are?"

"Yes, sir. If you'd like, I can show you our letter of representation." saying this, Cana rummaged through her satchel and handed a formal looking document to the man.

The man scanned the document for about a minute before handing it back. "My apologies. I hope I didn't offend you, it's just that I was expecting someone a little older."

"No offence taken. I can't deny that we're a little on the young side." Cana admitted grudgingly.

"We may be young, but we know what we're doing." Gray chimed in. He looked over at Natsu and Erza. "Except for those two- this is their first time on a job and they're just tagging along to see how it's done."

"I see," Johan said quietly. "Well then, I'll put my trust in you with the matter. Why don't we go out the back and I can explain the issue a little more?"

The group agreed and followed the blacksmith to the room at the back of the shop. As predicted, this was where the blacksmith did his work. The room was primarily built out of bricks and stone and had a number of workbenches and tools scattered all over the place. In the centre of the room was the forge itself- a large rectangular fire pit of sorts, raised to approximately hip height. The edges of the pit were lined with large stone bricks, giving it a neat look. A set of tools hung from a rack that had been nailed into the stone bricks and an anvil sat beside the forge itself.

Johan gestured to the beastly instrument before them. "As you can see this is the forge that I use to craft my goods. Primarily speaking, I craft weapons and armour, though I have made other goods in the past. You may notice something odd about this forge though."

He drew their attention to the base of the forge. "Unlike traditional forges, this one doesn't have a fire pit or bellows- reason being is that I don't use wood or coal to heat the furnace. Instead, I use a fire lacrima."

"A fire what?" Natsu interrupted confusedly.

"A fire _lacrima_," Cana explained. "Lacrimas are crystalline substances that you can imbue with magic. They can be used for a lot of different purposes, from things like home heating or lighting to communications, or even non-essential things like entertainment."

"Exactly right," Johan said. "Not that I know much about the specifics of how or why they work- as long as they do their job, I don't care. Unfortunately, that's not the case right now, because the lacrima that I was using to heat my forge stopped working recently."

"Alright, you used a lot of big words there, but I think I get it. You need a new one of those magic doodads to heat up your forge." Natsu said. "Why not just go and get another one?"

"Good question," Johan replied. "The problem is, not just any fire lacrima will do... I need a specialised one that can make a lot of heat and maintain that level of heat consistently for an extended period. There's no one in Magnolia who can make something like that and as I need one in order to do my job, I had to order one from somewhere else."

At that point, the four of them finally understood the situation.

"I see that the four of you are beginning to understand my issue here. The replacement lacrima I ordered was meant to arrive yesterday but has yet to arrive. To make matters worse, I have an order to complete for a very important customer who is coming to collect it this afternoon."

"So we have a time limit then," Gray gleaned. "In that case, we really need to get going and try to find this delivery."

Erza and Cana nodded in agreement and the three turned to leave. Cana was the last to leave the room, but she turned around to see that Natsu hadn't moved.

"Come on Natsu, we need to get going."

Natsu shook his head. "Go ahead without me," he said. "I'm going to help Johan with the customer's order."

"What do you mean?" the man asked.

Natsu snapped his fingers with a grin and a ball of fire sprang to life in the palm of his hand. "For a fire wizard like me, heating things up is easy. You don't have any time to waste, so let me help you... just tell me what I need to do."

The man eyed Natsu's fire and thought about it for a few seconds, looking both hopeful and doubtful at the same time. Eventually, he nodded his head in agreement. "It's worth a shot."

Natsu looked over to Cana, who still lingered by the doorway.

"Go ahead without me," he said. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

Cana left the shop and bumped into Gray and Erza, who were waiting outside.

"What took you so long?" Gray asked. He looked past her and frowned. "Is Fire Breath not coming?"

"No, he's going to try to help the client with something first and catch up with us later," she replied. "Anyway, let's go."

And so, the three of them went off to find the missing delivery.

* * *

Inside the shop, Natsu was having a closer look at the forge. While it wasn't immediately obvious, the forge radiated magic at several points, which suggested that there were a number of internal magic components that made it vastly different from an ordinary forge.

As curious as he was though, he couldn't spend all day trying to work this thing out. Turning to the blacksmith, he said, "Alright, so how does this thing work?"

"Operating the forge relies on several instruments. The first is a fire lacrima. Secondly, there are a number of mechanisms designed to take the heat from the lacrima and distribute it throughout the forge. And thirdly, there's the mechanism responsible for controlling temperature. I can control everything using a control panel on the side."

Johan then crouched down next to the forge and pressed against one of the stone slabs on the side, causing a small panel to open up, revealing a small cavity. "Ordinarily, the lacrima would go in here. When I activate the forge, the lacrima heats up and the plate at the back absorbs the heat and makes use of it as it needs to."

"So if I just touch the plate and heat it up, the forge should work normally?" Natsu asked.

"I would think so..."

Natsu nodded thoughtfully. "Well," he said. "Only one way to find out."

Lighting up his hand, he reached into the cavity and pressed against the plate. Johan pressed a button on the control panel and almost immediately, the device lit up. He pressed another button and turned a dial to set the temperature. As he did so, Natsu began to feel a very odd sensation in his fingertips. It almost felt like he was touching something very cold, but at the same time, his fingers were tingling as well. He couldn't say for sure, but he believed that his magic energy was being absorbed by the device.

Johan placed his hand over the furnace and grunted in satisfaction. "Good, it appears to be working. Now, here comes the fun part. Normally I can control exactly how much heat the lacrima puts out, but as I'm relying on you to provide the heat, I can't do that. So you need to provide enough energy for the forge to get up to the right temperature, but not so much that it overloads... because that could be very hazardous for our health."

'Well, that sounds pretty bad,' Natsu thought warily. "Ok, let's really fire this thing up then!". He increased the amount of energy he was putting out and the forge started to heat up even further.

The blacksmith monitored Natsu and the forge closely, instructing him when needed. "Keep going... just a bit more... that's too much now! There- hold that level there!". And so, he hauled a hefty metal onto the forge and began his work. When the metal was heated to his satisfaction, he transferred the metal to the anvil with a pair of tongs and started hammering it. Soon, the glowing metal cooled and went dull, so he returned it to the flames. He repeated this procedure, again and again, occasionally switching out the anvil for one with a different shape and gradually, the metal began to take shape. What originally had been nothing more than a hunk of metal became something more refined, though Natsu could not spare an awful lot of attention to trying to work out what it was. Maintaining the forge was continually draining his magic and it was taking all he had just to keep it going. An hour passed, then two, then just as Natsu was about to give up, the blacksmith finished his work.

"It is done," Johan said. "Well done lad, you can rest easy now."

No sooner had he said that than Natsu sank to the floor. "Is it finished?" he asked.

"Not yet. I just need to finish it off, in the meantime, you can rest," said Johan, before walking to one of the workbenches. He placed the metal down next to a carved piece of wood, which was of a similar size and shape. He fiddled around with the two pieces, bolting them together and adding two straps on the wooden side. From a protective case, he withdrew a few delicate looking silver filigree pieces and attached them on the metal side. He spent a few minutes adding finishing touches and painting the surface, before inspecting the piece. Nodding in approval, he walked to the centre of the room again and held the piece over the forge, using the residual heat to help dry the paint.

"Well then, lad, it's well and truly finished now. What do you think?" he said, displaying their creation. Natsu could see now that the piece was, in fact, an ornate heater shield. The main body was formed from a light-brown wood, while the metal served as the reinforced plate on its front face. Four dragons adorned the outer edges of the shield, while the centre was occupied by a single golden key. Overall, it was a sophisticated piece, crafted with a high level of skill and care- more than worthy of a family of extreme wealth or nobility.

"It's... beautiful," he replied. There really was no other word to describe it.

"I'm glad you think so," Johan stated simply. "I hope my customer feels the same way. Speaking of my customer... he should be here in a moment. Mind if we go out front so I can greet him when he gets here?". He exited the room and Natsu followed suit.

"I'd better try and find my friends then- we still need to find that delivery after all," said Natsu, turning to leave the shop.

"Hang on a second, lad," Johan said, gently placing the shield on the counter. Natsu turned to look at the man, who said. "Thank you... I wouldn't have managed to finish this commission without your help."

"It's no big deal, really. Just doin' what I could."

"You say that, but 'doing what you could' really saved my hide. Say, lad, what's your name?"

"Natsu... Natsu Dragneel."

"Well, Natsu. You're alright in my book, so feel free to drop by any time, if you need anything."

"Sure thing."

The two of them shook hands and at that very moment, a bell chimed as someone entered the shop. "Ah, excellent timing," said Johan, turning to greet the visitor warmly. "Good afternoon, sir. Please, come on in."

"Thank you, Master Johan. Your warm welcome, as always, is much appreciated." said the newcomer, as he stepped through the doorway. The middle-aged man's blonde hair was slicked back and he had a thick, but well-trimmed moustache. Between his well-groomed appearance and his expensive-looking brown suit, he had quite a severe presence. Yet his dark eyes were kind, especially when he gazed at the lovely lady who entered behind him.

She was a vision of beauty and the epitome of elegance. Tall and graceful, your eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her. Tall and graceful, your eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her. She wore her long blonde hair up in a bun, held in place by a lacy baby pink band with ruffles on its edges, but with two long strands that framed her face. Her long dress matched her headband and her soft brown eyes were full of compassion.

"Greetings, Master Johan. I hope the day finds you well," she said, with a voice as smooth as silk.

"I am very well, my lady," Johan said, bowing slightly in reverence. "Once again, your presence lights up my shop, as it always does."

"You give me too much credit, good sir... your fascinating shop far outshines myself." She glanced around as she said this, finally taking notice of Natsu. "Ah, my apologies Master Johan- it appears we interrupted you whilst you were with another guest."

Ah... it appeared that Natsu was about to be drawn into a conversation with two individuals who were obviously highborn, or at the very least, extremely wealthy. 'Time to use those manners that Igneel taught me,' he thought, stepping forward. "It is no trouble, my lady. I'm not exactly what you would call a 'guest' either- I'm just here to complete a job for Master Johan."

"A job?" the man asked, eyeing up the young boy.

"This young fellow is from the local wizard guild," Johan clarified. "I put in a request for help and this young man and his companions came to fulfil it."

"Ah, I see," the man said with approval. "Well, you look a little rough around the edges, but I appreciate a young man who works hard to make a living."

Ouch, talk about a backhanded compliment. But Natsu swallowed the indignant words that wanted desperately to come out. "Thank you, sir," he said instead. "I hope to continue doing so for a long time to come. I hope you'll excuse me, but I need to go and finish the job Master Johan has asked of me."

"Of course, young man. Please, don't let me keep you from your work," he turned to the lady beside him. "What do you say, my dear, should we collect our order and be on our way?". Johan led the couple over to the counter, where he had placed the shield and Natsu stood to one side to give them room, as the clutter left little space. But then, as the lady was passing him, she staggered and almost tumbled over. Fortunately, the man caught her before she fell. His eyes were full of worry and his hands shook slightly as he held her.

"I'm sorry, my dear husband... it seems I'm a little tired," she said with a faint smile.

"Balderdash," he said. "You still aren't feeling well, are you? I told you it would have been better for you to stay at home and rest."

"It is not as bad as you make it out to be, I'm fine, really,"

Satisfied that she would be alright, Natsu tuned out of the conversation at this point. He made as if to slip past the woman, but paused when he caught sight of something peeking out from behind the woman's skirt. It was a face- or half of one at least. The little blonde girl looked almost exactly like the lady, so they were clearly closely related- most likely mother and daughter. She gave the girl a slight smile and walked past her to the exit.

* * *

When Natsu emerged from the shop, he was almost dazzled by the sun. While the shop had been far from dim, it still paled in comparison to the summer sun, which had sunk lower in the sky and now shone directly into his eyes. It was a pleasant greeting, but it was also a reminder that they were running out of time. They could hardly search for the delivery in the dark, but waiting until tomorrow wasn't much of an option either, as the blacksmith was relying on this lacrima being delivered in order for him to do his job. He needed to find the others and quickly at that. "Man," he muttered. "Really wish I'd thought earlier about how I was going to find them. Guess I'll just have to do this the hard way."

As there was only one entrance to the city, any delivery person would have to enter through the gates in the south. The most logical place to start looking for this person would be there and he could bet without a doubt that his friends had had the same thought.

'Wait... 'friends'?' he thought. 'At what point did I start thinking of them as my friends?' He shook his head to clear it and started jogging to the gates.

* * *

He arrived at the gates mere minutes after he had set off- a testament to his stamina after years of training and rigorous activity. He had completed the easy part, but the hardest part was yet to come... and that was to find where his friends had gone from here. The path split off into several forks at this point and it was likely that they had ventured down one of these paths, though it wasn't immediately obvious which one they had picked. Fortunately, he had a plan in mind. A Dragonslayer's nose was just as good as their eyes, so long-distance tracking was, for the most part, fairly easy for them. Natsu wandered around in circles, sniffing the air like a dog, before eventually catching a whiff of a familiar scent. Grinning like an idiot, he ran down the dirt path that ran south-east, towards the scent.

* * *

He continued jogging for a further half hour down the path that he had chosen. The scent had gradually grown stronger over time and he could tell that he was drawing closer to whoever, or whatever it was that he was following. He began to scan the ground, looking for any clues that could lead him to his quarry. Suddenly, he noticed some unusual marks on the ground. He dropped into a crouch and saw that the path had several gouges taken out of it. These same marks ran off the side of the road into the trees and through the undergrowth, trailing away into the distance.

'This looks promising,' he thought, following the tracks. He emerged through a bush and stumbled across an abandoned cart, besides which a familiar figure crouched. Cana looked up at him in alarm, then relaxed as she recognised him.

"Geez, Natsu," she said. "Don't scare me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Oops, sorry," replied Natsu with a sheepish grin. "Wasn't tryna scare you or nothing, was just following a scent."

"Huh? What kind of scent?"

Natsu wrinkled his forehead in thought and sniffed the air twice, trying to work out what the scent was.

"Are you wearing perfume?" he asked.

"W-what?". Cana's stammer and blushing face was all the answer he needed.

"Cherry blossoms, if I'm not mistaken." he continued. "It's not the first time I've smelled it. You use it often?"

"Not really. Occasionally, I visit the market near the park... there's a lady runs a perfume stall there and sometimes I go and sample one... the Cherry Blossom one is my favourite."

"It's nice, you should wear it more often," Natsu said honestly- maybe a little too honestly, as the sincerity in his words only made Cana blush even more profusely.

"T-t-thanks," she stammered. "But there are more important things to talk about right now. How did things go with the client?"

"Just fine. I managed to help him finish his order just before his customer arrived to collect it."

"Good... good," Cana muttered absentmindedly.

"How about you guys? Managed to find anything?"

"See for yourself," she said, indicating the cart behind her. "This is the cart that was carrying the delivery- the driver is inside. Seems his horse panicked for some reason and veered off the road. The cart lost a wheel, the driver was injured and the horse ran off."

"How's the driver doing?"

"He's fine, for the most part- he broke his leg and was in a lot of pain, but I dulled his pain and put him to sleep with my magic."

Natsu gaped in surprise. "Your magic can do stuff like that?"

Cana grinned proudly. "Sure can," she fished around in her pocket and pulled out a strange pack of cards. The backs of the cards bore a dark cross with heart-shaped arms, which was surrounded by an intricate motif. "I use Card Magic, which means I can make magical cards that have different effects and then use them to cast spells." She selected two of the cards and turned them over, showing Natsu the front face of the cards. The first had a caricature of a sleeping ram, while the other had an image of a wise man holding a vial. "These are the two cards I used on the driver- I call them 'Resting Flock' and 'Alchemist'. The first can put someone to sleep and the second can dull pain and help with injuries or sickness."

"Woah, you can heal people?!"

"Not exactly... I just help the body heal itself. But it doesn't work straight away and it's slow," after a pause she continued speaking gravely. "If someone is about to die, I can only make it easier for them to go- I can't do anything to save them."

Natsu didn't know how to respond to that. Or rather, he didn't feel like it was right to say anything after such a grim comment. He couldn't disregard the gravity of her words with a flippant comment, so he merely gave a respectful moment of silence.

"Well, even so," he said finally. "It still sounds pretty awesome to me." Cana smiled gently, but with a little sadness in her eyes.

"Thanks. It really does come in pretty useful... it's how we managed to find the driver in the first place," she explained. "I used three of my cards, '_The World_', '_The Arrow_', and '_The Wanderer_'. Together, they can help locate someone or something, though it's not always exact."

"That's... so... cool! I wish my magic could do stuff like that... all I can do is wreck stuff."

"Personally, I think your magic is a lot cooler. You're the only person I know who can breathe fire like a real dragon," said Cana, giggling. "And your nose is pretty good too," having said this, she froze. "Wait... your nose."

"What about it?"

"I don't know about you, but I don't think I'm up to pulling the cart, so if we want to get back to town, we need to find the horse first... do you think there's any chance of tracking it down?"

"I'm... not sure," Natsu said uncertainly. "I only managed to find you because your perfume was familiar. I don't know what the horse is supposed to smell like exactly and there are so many new smells here that I wouldn't be able to work out which one is the right one."

"Damn," cursed Cana. "Guess our only option is to start looking ourselves or hope that Gray and Erza find it soon,"

No wonder the two of them were absent- they had been searching for the horse this entire time. Meanwhile, he and Cana had been chilling out and chatting. It didn't sit well with Natsu to not be doing anything while the two of them were working so hard. "I'll go have a look too,"

"It might be better than you stay here Natsu. I gave the two of them one of my cards so that I can find them if I need to, but I don't have a spare one to give you. If you got lost here, it would only make more problems."

"So what do we do instead, just wait?"

"That's the best thing to do right now. When they find the horse, they can use the cards I gave them and it'll tell me where they are. Then we can go retrieve the horse and go home."

Left with nothing else to do, Natsu sat on the ground and waited, with Cana say crosslegged opposite him. The time passed slowly, with only the sounds of the forest to keep them company. Natsu's tiredness had started to catch up with him, so he lounged against a fallen tree and closed his eyes. Though he hadn't intended to, he almost fell asleep. Half an hour passed, then he was jarred out of him semi-unconscious state by a repetitive flash and the sound of a gong. A little dazed, he glanced around, before focusing on Cana's pack of cards, which she was balancing on her knee. The flashing light and noise were coming from the topmost card in the deck.

"What's that?" he asked.

"That's a message," she answered. "Sounds like Gray found the horse... some good news, finally." She picked out the offending card and stood up. "Come on, let's go and meet up with him,". She led the way through the trees, occasionally glancing down at the card in her hand. Every now and then she'd hold the card out in front of her, turning slightly in a semi-circle, as if she was playing a game of 'Hot and Cold' with it. The further they travelled, the more frequently she would do this. Just as she was about to stop once again, Natsu caught wind of another familiar scent. Sniffing the air, he walked closer to the scent.

"Natsu? What are you doing?" Cana asked

"Following a scent... this one's familiar too."

He couldn't quite put his finger on it- though he knew this scent, he wasn't able to work out why it was familiar. He kept drawing closer to it and the scent grew stronger. More interestingly though, the ground grew... squishier.

"Hey, idiot,"

'Is the ground talking to me?' Natsu thought, looking down. What he saw looking back at him was a rather irritated looking Gray, who had camouflaged himself amongst the dirt.

"Are you planning on getting off me at any point? Or are you going to keep stepping on me?" he asked crisply.

"Ah, oops," Natsu said without remorse.

"Is that all you say to someone after standing on them?" Gray growled.

"It's kinda your fault for hiding in the dirt," retorted Natsu.

"I don't go around doing this for fun, you know," Gray said through gritted teeth. "You see that thing ahead of us?"

Natsu glanced up, scouring the woods, before eventually picking out a figure.

"Oh yeah, the horse," Natsu noted.

"Yes, that goddamn horse. It keeps running away from me whenever it sees me, so I've had to try sneaking up on it. Now, don't go ruining my hard work by scaring it away."

"...I really can't make any promises about that,"

"I swear I'm going to beat you up when we get back to the guild,"

"Boys," Cana said in a hushed tone. "Can you stop with your little rivalry for a second? Otherwise, you really will scare it away."

The boys both whispered apologies. The three of them thought quietly for a moment before Gray interrupted the silence. "So," he said. "Any ideas on how to catch that thing?"

"I have one," Cana replied. "If we wait till Erza gets here, I can try using my Card Magic on it to calm it down and she can get a hold of it and stop it from running off."

"...Can't say that I can think of a better plan," Natsu said.

"Me neither," added Gray.

"Well then boys," Cana said, reaching for her cards. "Hang tight for a sec while I call Erza over,"

* * *

Erza arrived mere minutes after Cana sent her message. They quickly filled her in on the plan and she agreed, eager to finally bring an end to this long search. Satisfied that they were as prepared as they could be, Cana stepped forward. The skittish horse took notice of her and looked like it was ready to take flight any second. Moving as slowly as she could to avoid startling it, Cana prepared her cards. "_Card Magic_..." she whispered quietly, "_Resting Flock_, _Euphoria_, _Shadow's Veil_\- _Soothing Touch_." The three cards flashed briefly and she stretched her hand out towards the horse. Immediately, the beast's eyes clouded over and became calmer. Cana urged Erza forward and the girl approached the horse as quickly as she dared. Reaching out slowly, Erza grabbed the horses reigns tightly. The four youngsters cheered silently. "Well done everyone," Cana exclaimed. "Now, let's get back to town."

* * *

They managed to get back onto the road just as the sun was beginning to set. After an exhausting day, the party of four were glad to finally be on the last stretch of their adventure. Finding the horse hadn't been the last obstacle that they'd had to face on the way back- coaxing the horse to follow them hadn't been easy and to top it all off and when they'd finally gotten back to the cart, they had suddenly remembered that the cart's wheel was still broken. Now, the forest is not exactly brimming with spare wheels, so they had been forced to improvise.

It was at this point that Gray had revealed the nature of his magic to Natsu and Erza. His brief but concise explanation had been that he used Ice Maker Magic, which allowed him to create inanimate objects out of ice. He'd then proceeded to demonstrate this by crafting a perfect wheel out of ice using the remaining wheels as a template. Together, they'd managed to fit the new wheel, get the cart back onto the road and start making their way back to town on the back of the cart. Gray had volunteered to drive, as he had apparently had some experience with horses before, while the other three had climbed in the back. At that point, the four youngsters had started to relax, confident that everything would be smooth sailing from there- well, with one exception.

The moment that the cart had started moving, Natsu began to feel... unwell. It started as a feeling of mild unease, which gradually became worse. Now, his vision was starting to get blurry, as if everything around him was vibrating slightly and he began to feel lightheaded. On top of it all, he started to come down with a headache and nausea, which grew to a crippling level within minutes. Erza and Cana watched him with concern as his condition grew worse, while Gray glanced at him every so often from the driver's seat, with mild interest.

"Are you alright, Natsu?" Cana asked.

"I feel like I'm going to die," he groaned.

The girls were far from reassured by his answer and glanced at each other worriedly. Gray, on the other hand, looked intrigued.

"Is this your first time in a cart, pyro?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah..." Natsu groaned. "I normally walk or ride on Igneel's back."

"Hang on, who's back?"

"Igneel's... he's the dragon who raised me."

The others all cried out in shock and disbelief. "Wait," Gray said. "You were raised by a dragon?"

"Well, duh," Natsu answered. "Where else can you learn dragonslayer magic?"

The ordinarily cool boy spluttered, unable to come up with a good retort. When he finally got over his surprise, he simply said. "Anyway, ignoring the dragon comment for a second... it looks like you suffer from motion sickness. In particular, when it comes to vehicles."

The girls uttered 'ah's of understanding. "You sound like you know a fair bit about it," Erza said. "Do you know of any cures?"

Gray thought about it for a moment. "Not cures exactly, but there are ways of treating it. Some types of medicines help, getting fresh air, chewing ginger-"

"Chewing ginger?"

"Supposedly... though it may be the chewing itself that helps and not the ginger. On top of that, looking at something in the distance, or closing your eyes and napping apparently helps."

"So, it sounds like it's all about distracting your mind..." Erza mused. "Natsu, come a little closer."

He scooted up next to her obligingly, albeit with a little confusion. She smiled gently, tapping her lap. "Here," she said. "Rest your head and try to relax". Natsu tried to object, but Erza bullied him into it and in the end, he reluctantly lay down and rested his head in her lap. At first, he felt stiff and uncomfortable, but Erza stroked his hair gently and spoke to him in a soft tone and he couldn't help but be soothed by her words. He closed his eyes and eventually, his symptoms subsided enough that he was able to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Natsu managed to sleep throughout the remainder of the journey back to town. Upon arriving at the city gates, Erza woke him up and the four of them climbed out of the cart. Natsu, Erza and Cana waited patiently while Gray went to inform one of the guards about the injured driver. The guard that he spoke to nodded and walked off, presumably to go and find a doctor and Gray rejoined the group. "Alright," Erza said, hauling the delivery out of the cart. "Let's go and inform the client that we've found his lacrima". Without waiting any longer, the group returned to the shop, with the sun just about to set on the horizon. They filed into the shop just as Johan was beginning to shut up and the man looked up at them in surprise.

"Welcome back," he said. "How did the search go?"

Erza brandished the protective case that she carried in answer to his question. "It went very well," she said. "We've got the lacrima right here". The man's face brightened considerably.

"Good news," he said. "Good news indeed!"

Erza stepped forward to hand it over and explained their theory about the accident. Johan nodded in concern but was relieved to hear that the driver wasn't seriously hurt. "I see," he said, inspecting the lacrima, which was thankfully intact despite all that it had been through. "The circumstances weren't ideal, but everything turned out alright in the end. You did well, I shall make sure to drop your reward down to the guild first thing tomorrow."

The group smiled proudly, pleased to be recognised for their efforts.

"Is there anything else that you need us to do, sir?" Cana asked.

"No, you've done more than enough, thank you," Johan replied.

"In that case, we should get back to the guild- it _is _getting late after all."

The blacksmith thanked them again and the four said their goodbyes, before leaving the shop.

As Natsu was about to leave, Johan called out to him. "Hold on a second Natsu," he said. "Do you have a moment?"

"Huh?" said Natsu, turning around.

"I'd like to thank you again for your help with my customer's order earlier- he was very pleased with it."

"There's no need to thank me for it, I was just doing my job."

The blacksmith shook his head. "No, lad. You did far more than complete the job- you went above and beyond what was requested of you and you should be rewarded for that. If there is anything that I can do for you, just let me know."

Natsu pondered the offer for a moment and looked around the shop briefly, before coming to a decision. "Well," he said. "I'm not sure there's too much you could do for me- I'm not big on using swords or armour. But I do have an idea."

"Oh?" Johan asked curiously.

"You know the red-head girl who was here with me earlier? She uses swords a lot."

"Ah, I thought she had the air of a swordsman about her. What of it?"

"I was wondering if maybe you could spare a weapon for her."

Johan stroked his chin in thought and looked around the shop with a frown, his eyes flicking over the weapons on display. Natsu began to feel a little nervous, worried that maybe he'd asked too much. But a moment later, the blacksmith came to a decision. "Wait here a moment," he said, before going out to the back of the shop. He returned a moment later, carrying a sheathed sword in one hand. "I think this would be a good fit for your friend," Johan said, unsheathing the sword. He held the weapon out flat on upturned hands. "What do you think?"

The blade he held out was dull black from end to end, as if it was crafted from pure shadows. It was fairly short compared to your average sword and the blade was slim, giving it an agile appearance. The edge was completely straight and the tip was slightly rounded. It also had two small wings that acted as a guard and a rounded pommel to help balance the blade. Just above the guard, on the base of the blade, silver lettering had been engraved, resembling runes of some kind. It was a subtle and high functional blade, made for a nimble combatant.

"I made this blade for a customer a while back, but they weren't satisfied with it and decided to leave it in favour of another item," explained Johan. "It's a Jian-style sword and at sixty-five centimetres in length, it's just shorter than your average blade. Despite its simple appearance, it's a well-made weapon and can take a beating. Given your friend's build, I think this weapon would be the most suitable for her."

Natsu eyed it with approval and gave a slight bow out of appreciation. "It looks perfect, thank you."

"Don't mention it," Johan replied with a grin. "Now, you'd better go and catch up with your friends."

Natsu jerked, realizing that his friends had left some time ago. He all but snatched the sword from Johan's hands and ran for the door. "Thanks again," he said. "I'll make sure to visit again!". With those final words, he left the shop, leaving the bemused blacksmith behind.

"My... what an interesting fellow," Johan muttered to himself.

* * *

In his haste, Natsu all but tumbled over his own feet as he left the building, barely managing to tumble down the few steps leading up to the doorway. To his surprise, he found Erza waiting for him just outside. "About time, slowpoke," she said. "What took you so long?"

"...You waited for me, Erza?" he asked.

"Of course," she said as if it was matter-of-fact. "Someone had to make sure that you got back safely,". Natsu was a little touched by her remark, but he wasn't about to admit it. She then took notice of what he was holding. "What's that?" she asked.

"Uh... well, it's a sword," he replied.

"I can see that, but why do you have it?" she asked. "I hope you didn't take it without permission," she added with a slight glare.

"No, I didn't," Natsu answered. "Johan wanted to thank me for helping him complete his customer's order, but he doesn't exactly have anything I'd want. I thought maybe I could get him to give me a sword and I could then give it to you."

Erza looked dumbstruck- clearly, she hadn't been expecting him to say that. "Come again?" she said.

"I said, this is for you," he reiterated, handing her the sword. For a moment, she just looked at him in bewilderment, then turned her attention to the blade. She slid the sword halfway out and stared at it with a with an unreadable expression. Finally, she slid the sword back into its sheath and stepped towards him, embracing him in a tight hug. "It's amazing," she whispered. "Thank you for thinking about me". Taken aback by this sudden change in attitude, he could only hug her back gently.

The moment seemed to stretch for an eternity, but eventually, Erza let him go and stepped back, blushing slightly. "Well," she said. "Today has been an interesting day, but I think we should get back to the dorms and get some rest."

"Good idea," Natsu replied, just as red-faced as his comrade. The two of them walked in companionable silence, eventually reaching the guild hall, where their paths were to diverge. "So," he said after an extended period of quietness. "We completed our first job as guild wizards,"

"It was... definitely an interesting experience," Erza said. "Makes me wonder what sort of adventures are going to be next". She gave him a hesitant sidelong look. "Speaking of adventures to come... it's been fun working with you. I hope we can go on more jobs together at some point."

Natsu gave her a quick grin. "Of course, that would be awesome!"

Erza smiled gratefully, relieved that he had so readily accepted her invitation. The two shook hands- it was an acknowledgement, or perhaps a promise of the days to come.

And so, their first proper days as Fairy Tail wizards came to an end. This was just the beginning of their story, a taste of the adventures that they had yet to experience. The coming days would no doubt be filled with trials and suffering, but also great happiness. This was what it meant to be a Fairy Tail wizard- and while the smaller details may not be remembered through the ravages of time, there would no doubt be legends about their escapades that would last for many ages.

And what marvellous legends they would be.

* * *

**And there we have it- Natsu's first job. I always found it a little weird that despite Fairy Tail being about a wizard guild, we rarely see anyone take on any jobs, so I thought it would be cool to add one in here. It's also a really convenient way of getting characters to spend time together and bond, so it makes writing a little easier.**

**Anyway, I just want to have a word regarding the polls in this bit, so if you're interested in the results so far, feel free to keep reading. If not, then I hope to see you for the next chapter.**

**Ok, so the first poll I want to talk about is regarding Natsu's harem and that has attracted the most interest by far. Right now these are the current positions with the most votes:**

**1st: Erza (9 votes)**  
**2nd: Juvia (8 votes)**  
**3rd: Lisanna (8 votes)**  
**4th: Mirajane (8 votes)**  
**5th: Levy (7 votes)**  
**6th: Ultear (5 votes)**  
**7th: Wendy (5 votes)**

**Now, I'm going to try and include as many girls in Natsu's harem as possible without making things completely over the top, so I may include 5 girls, or I may include ten depending on how well I manage to write things. When I see the opportunity to, I'll add in shipping moments and stuff, before eventually adding a girl to the harem. They may not necessarily be added in the order of popularity, because the last thing I want is to rush things and add someone before I've built it up enough. I do also take into account requests through private messages on top of the polls. The point is, don't worry if it doesn't look like your favourite girl is not getting enough love- it's just a matter of time before things happen.**

**Now, for the second poll. People seemed fairly against the side pairings- only Elfgreen seemed to get a decent number of votes. I'll try to avoid side pairings- though I can't promise that I won't give Levy a mini-harem with both Natsu and Gajeel (because I just think that sounds cool). I see that there have apparently been only 9 unique voters on this poll, so if you want to vote and haven't, you should! Your vote could tip the scales.**

**For the third and final poll regarding my writing style for later chapters, it seems rather inconclusive. Only 7 voters, 4 people voting for my own additional content and 3 voting for the X784 timeskip but with major flashback events. As there is a fairly even split, I'm going to do a mixture of the two for now and try to add the minimum necessary number of original chapters for character building along with the major flashbacks, so we can get to the start of the series (i.e. episode 1) fairly quickly.**

**I'm going to leave these polls up for at least the next few chapters so that anyone who hasn't voted can get the chance to. I think that's all I have to say, though knowing me I'll remember something I meant to say immediately after uploading this. So, until next time!**


	9. Chapter 8 - Cabin in the Woods

**Well, welcome back. The number of days since my last upload is too damn high, but today I finally managed to finish this new chapter, so here I present chapter 8.**

* * *

Oh blade of mine, grant me protection  
I pray that you hold true  
As I stand on a knife's edge  
One step from life and one from ruin  
I stand alone, but my spirit is unbroken  
The fight for my life has only just begun

* * *

-August 3rd, X777-

The streets of Magnolia were unusually busy given that it was a weekday- so much so that it was hard to believe that a significant portion of the people in the city were still at work. As the throngs of people went about their business, Erza made her way through the town with a purposeful stride, slipping through the crowd. It had only been a few days since she had worked with Natsu, Gray and Cana on her first job, but she had been eager to make good use of that hard-earned reward. Cana and Gray had generously forfeited their portion of the payment, allowing Erza and Natsu to split the fifty-thousand jewel reward between the two of them. Twenty-five thousand jewel wasn't an awful lot of money, but it was enough that Erza had been able to go shopping today to buy some basic necessities- namely a few changes of clothing, personal care products and cooking ingredients. On top of this, there was one other thing that she had wanted to pick up today- a basic set of armour. For this reason, she had visited Johan's blacksmith shop to do some window shopping, but unfortunately, his wares had proven to be outside of her price range at the moment. However, she'd told herself that it could prove to be a good investment when she had the funds to spare.

As she had spent all that she could afford to, she had decided to take her spoils back to the dorms. Her route took her past the guild hall and as she passed the building, she gave it a quick glance, briefly contemplating stepping inside. However, she decided against it- she didn't want to traipse in there laden with bags, as she would only be in people's way. Besides, she just wanted to drop off her stuff and get on with the rest of her day. _'I'll visit the guild afterwards,'_ Erza thought, before walking up the path leading west. She reached the edge of the town very quickly and while the buildings came to an end here, the path continued on for quite some distance, snaking up a steep hill. Erza climbed upwards, straining against the force of gravity that seemed determined to drag her down and send her tumbling down the sharp slope. The wind was a lot stronger up here than it was down below, which made her glad that her hair was fairly short- otherwise, it would surely be furiously whipping against her face right now.

Somewhat out of breath and with a slight burning sensation in her legs, she reached the top of the hill. Ahead of her stood Fairy Hills, Fairy Tail's female dormitory. It was a large and mildly imposing building consisting largely out of orange and grey bricks and was raised on an extended foundation made from the very same materials. There were four floors to the building: the basement, ground floor, first floor and finally, the second floor. From above, it appeared to be shaped like the letter 'H', where the entrance was on the lower left foot. The outer walls were adorned by a great number of arched windows lined with stone bricks, while the elongated pitched roof was made from greyish-brown tiles. The central part of the front face of the building had a veranda that linked the two wings, which was tastefully decorated with graceful arches.

As Erza approached the building, she passed through the dorm's sign, which consisted of two large brick columns bearing a plaque with the dorm's name on it. She ascended the handful of steps leading up to the door and paused under the storm porch. She furrowed her brows slightly in concentration and focused her magic. She put her hand out in front of her and with a flash of light, a small object appeared in her palm. This object was actually a miniature key of sorts- a lacrima that could be used to gain entry to the dorms. In fact, it was the _only_ way to gain entry to the dorms, as there was no physical lock and therefore no corresponding key. This pseudo key doesn't only unlock the door before her, but it also temporarily disables the defensive enchantments imbued within it. If someone attempted to open the door in any other way, the enchantments would activate and disable the intruder... painfully.

Erza pressed the key to the lock and with a flash and a slight click as the bolts retracted, the door swept open. She promptly stepped inside and the instant she cleared the entrance, the door closed by itself. The long narrow room which she now stood in was the lobby, which functioned as an entrance to the other parts of the dorm, as well as a visiting room. This was the only room that guests were allowed to visit unconditionally- if they wished to go into any other areas within the dorm, they had to first get permission from the Hilda, the matron of the dorm.

As one of the room's purposes was to entertain guests, the room was pleasantly decorated to provide a formal, but welcoming atmosphere. Towards the right wall, near the doorway, was a long counter, which was home to various bits of stationery, a lamp and a small plant pot. Just beyond the desk was the door to the stockroom, where Hilda kept a lot of office supplies. Just beside this door was a small landscape painting. Opposite the desk was a large green rug with an intricate pattern along its edges and a low coffee table, which were flanked by a comfy-looking sofa and armchair. Just behind the armchair was a short bookcase, topped with a couple of plants and another lamp. At the far end of the right wall was a door, through which existed a corridor leading to the common room. The far wall also had a single door, beyond which was the staircase leading to the second floor, as well as the basement entrance. Between the two windows on the left wall and the brilliant chandelier above, the room was a vibrant space.

Erza exhaled slightly, relaxing her shoulders. Though she hadn't been staying here long, she felt comfortable here. This place offered her a sense of security, which was something she had not felt anywhere for as long as she could remember- except for the guild hall to some extent. _'Though to be honest, the guild hall isn't exactly the safest place,'_ she thought with a slight smirk. _'Far too many fistfights for my liking'_. So distracted was she by her own inner thoughts that at first, she failed to notice that the room was occupied. After a second or two, she caught sight of the two individuals sat at the table. The first of the two was Master Makarov, who sat in the armchair, perched atop a pile of cushions. The second person was Matron Hilda.

Hilda was a woman of fairly short stature, though still tall enough that Makarov appeared to be no taller than she was, even with the aid of his cushions. Her rounded face, complete with drooping facial features and prominent wrinkles, was a testament to her many years. As usual, she wore her long hair tied up in a tight bun and a violet shirt with long sleeves, with a darker red vest underneath. She also wore a frilly white collar with a pink ribbon around her neck, a long dark red skirt and a pair of brown boots. She appeared quite jovial as she chatted with Makarov and sipped her tea- then she took notice of Erza and her face took on her usual strict expression.

"Hmph, about time you got back, girl," Hilda said gruffly, with a frown. "Master Makarov here has been waiting for you,"

"He has?" asked Erza in surprise, turning to Makarov. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you, Master,"

Makarov waved his hand dismissively, still sipping his tea. "It's quite alright child. It's not like I informed you that I was coming, so you weren't to know that I would be here". His eyes darted momentarily to Hilda, who had been about to continue chastising Erza. "If it's quite alright, young lady, I thought today we could go on a little outing."

"An outing, sir?" asked Erza in puzzlement.

"Yes... in truth, your injured eye concerns me. I happen to know of a talented healer who lives nearby and recently, I asked her to have a look at you and see if she can do anything. She's not too fond of people, but as we have a long history, she agreed to do what she can to help. I thought today might be a good day to visit her... if you have nothing else planned, that is." He raised his one eyebrow questioningly and Erza shook her head quickly.

"No, sir. I was probably just going to visit the guild hall again, but I didn't have anything planned. I'll go,"

"Excellent," he said with a nod. "Why don't you go drop off your bags first? It's not exactly an easy walk and too much baggage will just weight you down."

"Very well. In that case, please excuse me," Erza said with a slight bow. "I'll be as quick as I can."

"Take your time child, I am not in a rush," he said gently. "Besides, it gives me more time to drink my tea". He took another sip of his tea and sighed in satisfaction. As Makarov and Hilda resumed their earlier conversation, Erza made her way to the back of the room and upon reaching the door at the far end, she pressed the palm of her hand against it. She felt a slight tingling sensation in her hand and where her hand touched the wood, a small pulse of light spread outwards rapidly, before vanishing. Much like the entrance to the dorms, this door was also enchanted- only dorm members or registered guests could open this door. Having verified her identity, the door sprang open, Erza stepped through to the stairwell. She strode up the steps two at a time and quickly reached the next floor of the building. There were eight rooms on this floor: six dorm rooms which occupied the central part of the building; the utility room, which occupied this wing of the building and was used for storage and doing laundry; and finally, the communal bath, with occupied the wing at the far end of the building. Turning to her left, Erza started making her way down the corridor, stopping at the first door on her left- her room. Similarly to how she entered the stairwell, she pressed her hand against the door to unlock it, then stepped through.

Her room wasn't much to look at- as she hadn't been living here for very long, it was more-or-less identical to the unoccupied rooms, with few personal items or decorations to be seen. Like the rest of the main rooms in the building, she had plain wooden panelling on the lower parts of the walls and the upper halves were painted using the same tone of light beige. The floor and ceiling were both made from identical wooden planks and the coving that ran around the edges was of the same medium-brown wood. She had the same ordinary four-poster double bed, complete with white drapes and it was positioned in the usual position against the right wall. On the far wall, she had a small mahogany dresser and two windows which looked out onto the hills and Lake Scilliora- thou the latter was only visible if you stood to the left side of the windows and looked as far right as you could. In the corner to the left of the door was a small kitchen area, with a series of cupboards, cooking appliances and a mystical device that she referred to as an 'icebox', used to preserve food. Apart from that, the left wall also had a painting of a bouquet of flowers and a door, which led to the bathroom.

This room was nothing special... but it was _hers_. It had been a long time since she could say that she had something of her own and seeing this simple room filled her with boundless happiness. If she had the time to, she would no doubt continue to dawdle in this room and appreciate it all- but right now, she wasn't able to do that. Breaking out of her reverie, she quickly put away her perishable items into the icebox and dumped the rest of her goods by her bed to be sorted out later. She double-checked everything one last time and after confirming that everything was put away correctly, she left the room.

* * *

Erza gazed sceptically at the building in front of her. When the Master had told her that they were going to see a healer, she had expected that he would take her to a fairly prominent building within the town itself- a grand looking building perhaps, with a long queue of people waiting outside, the sort of building that would be home to a highly talented and distinguished physician. That, rather unexpectedly, had turned out to be far from true. Makarov had walked through the town with a strong sense of purpose, walking past all the more luxurious abodes. At first, Erza had simply taken this within her stride, thinking that maybe she had just been a little unrealistic in her expectations. However, the more they walked, the more unsure she had felt. Soon, they had left the streets of Magnolia completely, leaving the city via the gate in the south. After following an east-bound path for some time, they eventually left the road and entered the forest, following a winding path that varied direction between north and north-east. And then, out of nowhere, the Master had stopped and announced that they had reached their destination.

"Well, girl," he said, interrupting Erza's thoughts. "What do you think?"

Erza didn't answer straight away, instead choosing to assess the 'building' a little more. She had struggled to pick out the structure amongst the trees at first, as it appeared that the healer had turned one of the trees itself into their home. The massive organism dominated the glade in which they stood, with massive branches and roots sprawling outwards to an incredible degree. The trunk itself was as wide as six people stood in a line with their arms outstretched. The house appeared to be almost completely natural, with the only artificial aspects being the stairs leading up to the house, the door and a couple of windows.

"It's... not what I was expecting," Erza answered carefully. "But it's definitely impressive."

"Well said, girl," Makarov said agreeably. "An excellent response, don't you think, Porlyusica?"

"Hmmm... it was certainly a well thought out one," replied a croaky, yet unmistakably female voice. With a start, Erza turned round to face the speaker, who emerged from behind one of the trees. The old woman had both height and a slim figure, which only exaggerated her flinty temperament. She had long pink hair tied into a bun by two large crescent moon shaped edges and two long bangs that framed her face. Her dark red eyes seemed to peer through whatever she looked at and she a beauty mark located on the left side of her face, just below her mouth. She wore a crimson-coloured cape that hung to her ankles, with a wide collar with decorations similar to dragon horns and trimmed edges with an arch-like pattern. Through the gap in her cape, you could just about make out the rest of her outfit: a dark green blouse, a black tie, a long purple skirt and a pair of simple shoes.

The woman, whom Makarov had called Porlyusica, walked over to them slowly, carrying a small basket in her arms. She gave Erza a sparing glance, then turned to Makarov. "I assume this is the girl you were talking about?"

"Indeed she is. This young lady is Erza," Makarov replied, placing his hand on Erza's shoulder. "She only joined the guild fairly recently, but she already fits right in. However, the poor thing appears to have sustained a pretty nasty injury before she came to us."

Porlyusica merely grunted at his words. "Yes, you've already told me about her injury. However, I'm not particularly interested in your vague words- I'd much rather see the extent of the damage myself," She turned to Erza at this point and very bluntly said, "Well girl, no time like the present- let me see that eye of yours."

Erza wasn't particularly eager to show her injured eye to this stranger, as it wasn't exactly a pretty sight... but the entire point of this meeting so this woman could heal her. That was not something that could be done if she couldn't even bear to let the woman have a look. So despite her reluctance, she flipped up her eyepatch to rest on her brow. Porlyusica grabbed her chin and tilted her head back, leaning in the get a closer look. The healer instructed Erza to follow her finger with her injured eye and then proceeded to move her finger in different directions, noting with dismay that Erza could barely move her eye at all. At last, Porlyusica stepped back with a sigh.

"I didn't realize that her eye was so badly injured. It'll be next to impossible for me to restore her sight again."

"No need to be humble, I'm sure that you can do it with ease," Makarov said breezily. "It's just a shame she has to wear that ugly eyepatch when she has such a pretty little face."

Porlyusica glared at him and in a flash, her hand latched on to his ear with an iron grip. "You're not planning on putting the moves on her when she grows up, are you?"

"Of course not, woman," Makarov cried, desperately trying to pry her hand off his ear. "What kind of man do you take me for?!"

Despite his furious protests, Erza took a small step away from him... just in case. Eventually, Porlyusica relented and released Makarov grudgingly, before turning to look at Erza.

"Well, girl. I'd like to get straight to business," she said, before walking towards her home. "Let's get inside and I'll see what I can do."

"Is it worth me waiting around?" Makarov asked her retreating form.

"Not unless you want to sleep out here," Porlyusica replied brusquely. "I likely won't be done until tomorrow. You can come by to collect her in the morning."

Makarov nodded in understanding and gave Erza a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Erza. Porlyusica may not be the friendliest person, but she would never let harm come to a member of the guild. So rest assured, you'll be in good hands."

Erza thanked him and he turned to leave, making his way back to town.

"Well, girl. Are you coming, or not?"

Erza turned to Porlyusica, who had paused halfway up the stairs, waiting impatiently.

"Sorry, Ma'am," Erza said, dashing up the stairs after her.

* * *

The inside of Porlyusica's house proved to be just as bizarre as the outside. The inside of the tree had been hollowed out, creating a decently sized room. There was little in terms of furniture, but the room had all the basics that you would expect of a hermit living in the woods. There was a single bed, a desk, a handful of tree stumps which were likely meant to be basic chairs and numerous barrels and crates. There were a number of shelves that had been carved directly into the trunk of the tree, bearing a great number of books, as well as a series of unidentified concoctions in glass bottles and some alchemical ingredients.

Porlyusica gestured to the bed and Erza awkwardly saw down on the edge. The healer said nothing at first as she moved about the room, picking up various items, including a series of plants and an empty bottle. Having collected everything she needed, she took her spoils and the contents of the basket over to the bench and started mixing the ingredients using the equipment there. When she finally finished her work, she poured the resulting mixture into the bottle and approached Erza again, speaking for the first time since they had entered the room.

"I think it is time for me to explain how I plan to treat you," the woman said, wasting no more time. "Regrettably, I don't think I will be able to heal your eye- the damage is simply too severe and nothing short of healing magic will be able to save it. Unfortunately, healing magic is considered a lost art, so that is not an option for us."

"So... it's hopeless then? You can't do anything for me?" Erza asked sadly.

"Of course I can, child. Do you think I would have brought you in here to waste your time?" The woman snapped. "I said I can't heal you- but that doesn't mean I can't help you in some other way."

Erza looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean? What other option is there?"

"I can make an artificial eye for you. I know it's not the same as having your real eye, but with any luck, it will work just as well as the old one and you won't even notice the difference," Porlyusica explained. "It may seem like a drastic action, but that is the only option that I can give you."

Erza considered her proposal for a moment. "What would you need to do?" she asked.

"First of all, I would need to remove what's left of your damaged eye. For that reason, I made this-" Porlyusica said, raising the bottle in her hand. "It is a powerful sedative that will put you into a deep sleep while I perform the operation. After I've removed your eye and sterilised the area, I will go about making the artificial eye and inserting it into your eye socket. At that point, I just need to influence the assimilation process so that your body doesn't reject it as a foreign object and ensure that all the proper connections are made in order for you to see with it."

"...Ok, I get it," Erza said plainly.

"If you need some time to deliberate-"

"Let's do it," Erza interrupted suddenly. "As you said, there's no other option. So there's no point in overthinking it."

Seeing the resolve in Erza's face, Porlyusica swallowed her words. "Very well," she said. "If you're sure that's what you want. But don't come crying to me if you come to regret it." She handed Erza the glass bottle. "Make sure you drink it all," she said. "Can't have you waking up mid-operation."

Erza nodded, chugging the contents of the bottle, before handing it back to the woman. "What now?" she asked.

"Just lie down for now and let the potion take effect," Porlyusica replied.

"You're going to do the operation while I'm on the bed?"

"Do you see anywhere else to lie down?" the healer asked. "It's not like I have an operating theatre here, it's either a comfortable bed or the hard floor, so make your choice. Personally, I'd rather you spare my old knees and choose the bed so I don't have to kneel down. Don't worry about the bed, I have healed many people here over the years and it's done a fine job each and every time."

Erza nodded wearily, as she started to feel the effects of the potion. "If you're sure, then ok," she said, then lay down as requested. Before long, the building feeling of drowsiness overcame everything and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

As consciousness slowly dawned on her, Erza started to stir restlessly. Her eyes- or more accurately 'eye', as she now had bandages covering her injured one- opened a mere crack, dazzled by the rays of the morning sun that pierced the room. She looked around her slowly, still a little disoriented. At first, she failed to recognise where she was, but as she laid eyes on the healer woman, perched on one of the logs on the other side of the room, she finally remembered.

As she heard Erza start to wake up, Porlyusica stood up and crossed the room to stand next to the bed. "How are you feeling, child?" she asked.

"I'm fine, thank you," Erza replied drowsily. "Did you manage to finish the operation?"

Porlyusica nodded but said nothing. Erza desperately wanted to ask her how the operation had gone, but she didn't have the courage to do so. Instead, she asked something else.

"I never asked before, but how were you going to make my new eye?"

"It's a fairly short, but complex procedure." the healer replied. "First I used a device to analyze your other eye, the one which is still in working condition. Using all the information recorded by the device, I took a small blank lacrima and programmed it to imitate your working eye, as well as form connections with the nerves and muscles in your eye socket. Then I simply inserted it into your eye socket and waited- eventually the lacrima expanded to the same shape and size as your other eye. In fact, the process was fully completed a few hours ago."

"I see," said Erza.

There was a short break in the conversation in which neither of them said anything. Eventually, Porlyusica broke the silence. "Well, girl, there's no point in dragging it out any longer," she said. "I understand that you're nervous about whether or not the operation was a success, but sitting here won't change the results. You have to take off the eyepatch if you want to find out if it went well." With those words, the old woman handed Erza a small mirror.

"You're right, Ma'am," Erza said reluctantly. There was no helping it, really. With her heart in her mouth, she took off the eyepatch. She blinked once, twice. For a second, her vision was a little blurry, but then everything resolved itself and became clear again. she looked into the mirror, saw that her new eye was identical to the old one. As a little test, she closed her left eye- the one that had been left uninjured. And to her surprise, she could still see. She could see _everything_.

"It's healed," she said in amazement.

"You can see with it?" Porlyusica asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," Erza answered.

"Good. Then I think it's about time you leave, young lady," declared Porlyusica. "Nothing personal, but I like my solitude and I'm not going to get it if you linger around here."

"Thank you," Erza said gently. "Thank you, so much." In her overwhelming joy, a single tear trailed down her cheek.

The healer woman looked at her in alarm. "Wait... something's wrong," she exclaimed, causing Erza to look up in distress. "When you cry, the injured eye isn't tearing up." She rushed to her table, rapidly flicking through the pages of a book that lay open there.

"I just don't understand it, I did everything perfectly," muttered Porlyusica in dismay. "I mixed the compound perfectly, used a flawless lacrima, followed the procedure to the letter. There's no reason it should have failed..."

"It's alright, Ma'am," Erza said quietly. Porlyusica looked over to her questioningly and the girl continued. "It's not your fault- it's probably cos I've cried so much that I don't have any tears left," she said with a bittersweet smile.

"You've done more than enough for me, thank you."

* * *

Erza left quietly, without much fuss. After all that Porlyusica had done for her, she could at least leave the woman in peace. As she descended the steps, she was greeted by the shrill sounds of a solo woodwind instrument. As he had promised, Master Makarov waited for her just ahead, sitting cross-legged on a tree stump. In his hands, he held the offending instrument, which he was playing so poorly, that he would surely desecrate the illustriousness of all woodwind instruments for ages to come.

Perturbed by this unusual display, Erza could only watch Makarov as he finished his piece. When the final note trailed off, the old man turned to Erza. "You have an unusual expression on your face, child," he said. "Anything on your mind?"

"I... was just surprised to see you playing an instrument, Master," she said carefully. "I never would have expected that you played the flute."

"The ryūteki is a noble instrument, which is something that I admire greatly. Besides, everyone has to have a pastime of some sort. Hobbies are something that we humans invented in order to enrich our lives- if it weren't for that, we surely would have gone insane a long time ago," said Makarov with a wry chuckle. "More importantly than that, child, I see that your eye is looking a lot better. I take it that Porlyusica's healing worked?"

"You could say that," Erza answered. "She wasn't able to heal my eye, but she _was_ able to give me an artificial one that works just as well as the old one."

"I see," Makarov said. "Well, it's probably the best outcome that we could have asked for, given the circumstances. Certainly, worth the trip out here, eh?"

"Yes, sir. It was."

"Good to hear," said Makarov contently. "In that case, should we head back to town? I highly suggest that you try and find Natsu when you get the chance- the poor lad was getting all worked up when you didn't turn up at the guild yesterday. And when I finally explained that you were getting your eye checked out, he was very concerned." He sighed heavily, standing up. "Who would have thought that the lad would prove to be such a worrywart?"

Erza smiled gently as the two of them started walking back. "He can be a hothead sometimes, but it's clear that he has a big heart," she said.

"Yes, that does appear to be the case," Makarov said. "Quite the odd combination of personality traits, if you ask me."

He fell silent for a moment. "Speaking of Natsu, I noticed that since you went on your first job together, you appear to have picked up something of interest." He glanced pointedly at the sword that hung from her hip. "What's the story with that little treasure?"

Reflexively, Erza's hand dropped to the blade in question, her fingers grazing against it fondly. "When we were working on that first job for the client, Natsu ended up providing some extra assistance. The client offered a bonus reward for his help, so he asked for this blade and gave it to me." Erza explained.

"I see," said Makarov. "I'm pleased to see that the two of you are getting along so well. You two already have quite the relationship,"

"R-relationship?" squeaked a red-face Erza.

"Hmm? Why yes, you two are friends, aren't you?" questioned Makarov.

"Friends? Oh, yes... yes we are," Erza said, looking downwards.

The old man looked at her worriedly. "Are you sure you're alright, young lady? You look like you're coming down with a fever."

"I'm fine, thank you! Anyway, let get going!" she said, rushing off ahead.

Makarov watched her all but sprint down the path back to town, still highly confused about what had just happened. "Is it something I said?" he asked himself. Shaking his head, he trailed after her, muttering to himself all the while about the unusual new members of his guild.

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this barren heart of mine  
Colder and emptier without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

"...Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-ninety, one hundred!"

For what felt like the millionth time today, Natsu glanced at the entrance to the guild hall. And for the millionth time, he was left disappointed.

"Urgh! Where is she?" he cried in frustration. Master Makarov had assured him that Erza would be back sometime today, so he had waited for her arrival all morning. The anticipation was agonising and he had been unable to stop himself from glancing at those doors for more than a few seconds. In order to stop himself from going completely crazy, he forced himself to repeat this slow count to a hundred, only allowing himself to look up when he finished.

He slumped forward again, resting against the table that he sat at. "One... two... three..." he said, starting the cycle for another iteration.

It was sad really- without Erza here, there wasn't much here to keep him occupied. Had Gray been here, he could have messed with the icy weirdo a little- but he was out on a job right now. Likewise, Cana was nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately, that left him with few distractions to pass the time.

_'I could try and talk to someone,'_ he thought to himself. Starting a conversation wasn't his strong suit though, so he was hesitant to just walk up to a random stranger to try and chat with them. For that matter, what would he even talk about? He still wasn't clued into human society enough to have a proper conversation with just anybody. He groaned in frustration at his own lack of people skills and slammed his forehead into the table.

"...Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred..."

Once again, he completed his count. But was there any point in checking the door? If Erza wasn't here yet, then she likely wouldn't be here for a while yet, if she was planning on coming at all.

"Curse my rotten luck," Natsu grumbled to himself.

At that exact moment, the door creaked open. A split second later, Natsu was on his feet, eyes glued to the entrance. The doors opened wider and someone entered- but it wasn't Erza. Instead, it was a short little girl with sky blue hair, who skipped into the room merrily. Feeling deflated, Natsu sank back down into his seat.

_'As expected, she's not coming,'_ Natsu thought dejectedly. Slumping over again, he plonked his arms down on the table and rested his chin on his forearms. He once again returned his gaze to the immobile doors, though this time, he was unable to properly focus his attention on them. In this semi-conscious state, he very vaguely registered the blue-haired girl passing in front of him to sit at a nearby table. For a few minutes, he remained undisturbed- until he caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye. Glancing to one side, he saw that the girl was fidgeting idly at her table, unable to keep still. Seeing that it was nothing interesting, he looked away and closed his eyes.

Not long after that, he heard the girl get up from her table, walk away and start rummaging through something. Curious as to what she was doing, he opened his eyes and saw her take something out of a nearby cabinet. With the object in hand, she walked back to her table and set it down gently, before taking a seat. Now that the object was a little closer to him, Natsu could see that it was actually a box of some kind. Taking off the lid, the girl emptied the contents onto the table carefully, then started to organize them. First, she took a flat board that had been etched with a nine-by-nine grid pattern and laid it down in front of her. She then took out a drawstring bag and emptied it out onto the table, revealing a series of wedge-shaped pieces of wood. Each was of a slightly different size and had two different symbols engraved on them, one on each side. She arranged the pieces onto the board in a symmetrical pattern, so that the pieces occupied the three rows closest to her, as well as the three furthest from her. The pieces on her side all pointed away from her, while the pieces on the opposite side all face towards her.

Thoroughly entranced by the almost ceremonious manner in which she moved, he was caught by surprise when she suddenly rapped one of the pieces against the table loudly. He looked up with a start to realize that she was looking directly at him.

"You know, if you're interested in what I'm doing, you can come and have a closer look," she said graciously.

"Huh, who said I was interested?" Natsu replied with an air of false indifference. "You just happened to catch me looking over,"

"I don't think so. You've been 'looking over' here for the last five minutes," she said dryly.

_'Uck, busted,'_ Natsu thought, sheepishly. "Alright, alright! I might be just a little bit interested," he said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Then come over and have a look," she said. "Don't worry, I don't bite."

Grumbling to himself, Natsu stood up and walked over to her table, looking more closely at the board. "So what is this thing?"

The girl's eyes lit up at his question. "This is a Shogi board- it's a game," she explained eagerly.

"Really?" Natsu asked doubtfully. "Doesn't look like any game I know. You're supposed to have fun with little pieces of wood?"

"Yeah, it's actually _really_ fun. But it takes a lot of concentration and thinking," she explained. "Because it's so hard, not everyone likes it. Which means I don't have many people to play with," she added with a sad smile.

"So you need more than one person to play?" Natsu asked in confusion. "Why did you get the board out then if you've got no-one to play with?"

"Because I had nothing better to do, so I was going to play by myself."

"Wow, that's sad,"

"Hey, that's mean!" she pouted, pointing a finger at him. "If it's so sad that I'm playing by myself, how about you let me teach you and we can play together?"

"No thanks, I'm not a fan of thinking too hard," he said, shutting her down instantly.

"Oh, come on!" she wheedled desperately. "It's not like you're doing anything right now, you're just sitting and staring at the door."

An excellent point. Until recently he had been looking for some means of distraction to take his mind off the wait. Even if it wasn't something he was particularly interested in, surely it would be better than sitting around idly?

"Ok then," he said, sitting across the table from her. "I guess I can try it out."

"Great!" said the girl, flashing a dazzling smile at him. "Alright, so here's how you play."

The girl then proceeded to explain to him the rules of the game, including the overall goal, the mechanics and the purpose of the different pieces. Overall, it sounded like a very complex game that took a lot of strategic thinking.

"Is there anything you don't understand?" she asked, having finished her explanation.

Natsu contemplated her words for a few seconds. "I think I'm good," he said finally.

"Ok then, let's play!" she said. "Remember, If you're too aggressive with your pieces, you'll probably lose. You need to think about how your pieces work together and not just send them charging out to get taken."

Natsu nodded in understanding.

"Good. I'll play first then," the girl said.

With those words, she took one of her pieces and moved it into a new position on the board... and so the game began. The two of them took turns moving their pieces across the board. Natsu found himself contemplating each move carefully, trying his best to not get completely annihilated by his opponent. Despite his own inexperience, he could see that she was a skilled player. Her eyes darted across the board and she moved each piece with surety, like a conductor orchestrating a great performance. He lost a lot of his pieces during the early stages of the game, but the longer he played, the more he began to understand the moves at play. Eventually, he started to perform a lot better and while he wasn't able to put up much in the form of a counter-attack, he was at least able to hold his own. The girl took longer with each move and considered her actions more closely, giving him a little breathing space.

No longer under the same sort of pressure, Natsu scrutinized his opponent more closely. She looked to be about his age, or perhaps slightly younger. Her previously-mentioned blue hair hung loosely to her shoulders and was slightly wavey at the ends. She had a very expressive face, with a high forehead and brown eyes that leant towards the hazel end of the spectrum. Around her neck, she had an ivory coloured necklace with beads similar to the Shogi pieces. She also wore a sleeveless yellow jerkin with a red edging, black three-quarter length cropped trousers and brown shoes.

"Huh," Natsu said to himself.

"What?" asked the girl, as she picked up one of her pieces.

"Oh nothing," he said. "I was just thinking that you're really pretty."

"Eh?!" She stared at him speechless for a moment, before dropping her head down to avoid his gaze. She distractedly put down her piece, to which Natsu grinned, triumphant.

"You're wide open!" he hooted, taking out one of her most prominent pieces.

The girl gaped at the board and glared at him. "Hey! Did you just say that to distract me?" she asked indignantly.

"Partly," he said with a casual air. "But I really did mean it."

The girl pouted again and stared at the board intensely for a few seconds. By taking that last piece, Natsu had put her in a bad position. Feeling sure of his victory, he grinned smugly.

But the girl was more than eager to dash his dreams. She picked up another piece and moved it. "Checkmate," she smiled.

Natsu looked at the board again in puzzlement. "Oh... you're right," he said. While his last move had certainly inconvenienced the girl, he had inadvertently made himself vulnerable. "Guess I didn't really think that through," he mumbled bashfully.

The girl shook her head. "No, it was a good move. If you had more pieces, you might have been able to win." Despite her kind words, she scowled at him. "Though it would have been better if you hadn't cheated."

"Sorry," he offered. "It was the only way I'd have a chance of winning."

"Hmph, I guess I'll let you off this time," she said. "So what did you think? Of the game I mean."

"It was fun... a lot better than I thought it would be," Natsu answered. "To be honest, I wouldn't mind playing another game at some point."

The instant he finished talking, the girl shot up and launched herself across the table, almost headbutting him.

"Really?! Do you mean it?" she blurted.

Taken by surprise, Natsu leant back to put some distance between them. "Sure, I don't see why not."

He smiled as the girl shrieked and giggled. At the moment, he heard the doors creak open and he whipped his head around just in time to see a familiar red-headed girl enter. He jumped to his feet quickly, intent on rushing over to her.

"Hey, I need to go," he told the girl. "I'll see you in a bit, ok?"

"Wait!" the girl cried. He paused for a moment, looking back at her. "I don't think I was here when you joined the guild. What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragonslayer,"

The girl smiled at him sweetly. "My name's Levy... Levy McGarden. I hope we can play again soon,"

"Sure thing," Natsu said as he ran off. "Anytime."

Levy smiled to herself as he left, happy to have made a new friend. "Natsu, huh?" she said to herself. "I hope to see you soon,"

Natsu all but sprinted across the room to Erza's side.

"Erzaaaa!" he yelled furiously.

Hearing her name, the startled girl turned around to see Natsu barreling towards her. In shock, she lashed out reflexively, delivering a straight punch directly into his face and sending him tumbling to the floor.

"Ugh!" he croaked, stunned by the powerful blow.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Natsu!" she said, flustered. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, dazed. "Sorry, but could you help me up? Everything is spinning."

Still feeling mortified for almost knocking him out, she helped him get back to his feet. He was a little unsteady at first, but eventually, his double vision settled down and he managed to stay upright without her support.

"Thanks," he said. He looked at her face, noting immediately that she wasn't wearing her eyepatch. "Hey, your eye is better."

"Kind of," she replied with a somewhat bitter smile. "The healer had to give me a new one."

"What?!" he exclaimed. "That's so cool! And unfair... why can't I get a new one?"

Erza couldn't help but laugh at his childish words. "Only you would think that's cool, Natsu." Suddenly, her face took a more mischevious expression. "By the way, a little bird told me that you were pretty agitated while I was gone. Were you worried about me?" she asked teasingly.

"Pfft, no!" he replied, in an unconvincing manner. "As if I'd ever be worried about you. I just wanted to go on a job with my partner, is all."

"Oh, so I'm your partner, am I?" she said, poking him in the side. "In that case, should we go take a look at the request board?"

"Don't have to ask me twice," he answered. Without another word, he latched onto her hand and raced away, ready to pursue their next adventure.

* * *

**And there we have it for chapter 8. This chapter was a little on the unusual side, as I switched focus from Natsu to Erza for a little bit. I will likely be doing this from time to time in the future, even if it's only for short periods, just so I can show what the other characters are doing when Natsu isn't around. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy seeing me mix things up in this way, but as it's going to be important for character building as well as just showing events in general, it can't really be helped even if you're not too keen on it. It'll all be worth it in the end, trust me.**

**Also, sorry if you felt this chapter was a little slow. I promise I'm not deliberately trying to tease you guys with my slow progress or anything, I just don't want to miss out anything I feel as significant regarding flashbacks and the like. Speaking of flashbacks, I've been trying to remember all the different episodes where we see these flashbacks, but there's only so much I can do without rewatching ALL the early episodes of the show. If you guys can remember any flashbacks, even if they're just little snippets, let me know! Drop a review or send me a PM, either is appreciated. For that matter, drop me a review anyway- Favouriting and Following my story is great, but nothing quite beats hearing your feedback on what you like/disliked about my chapters. A writer needs constructive criticism if they want to improve.**

**Thirdly, onto a slightly more serious topic. After uploading my last chapter, I received a couple of reviews that were a little spoilery. While I appreciate anyone taking the time to write a review on my story, there's one thing that I must ask: If you're planning on writing a review, please be careful not to include spoilers. The people who choose to read my story- or any other for that matter- may not be up to date with the series and therefore it could ruin their experience of reading/watching said series. Believe it or not, I am one of these people- I've only watched 5 episodes of the newest season so far, so I'm looking to try and catch up on it soon. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately) I have actually read a fair few spoilers while doing my research, so it's not so bad for me. Anyway, the point is, please be considerate of your fellow readers. Thank you**

**Finally, I'd like to apologise (again) for the slow progression. I don't think it'll take too much longer though- the next chapter will probably be a fairly long one, so it may take a while to write, but after that, it's just a matter of churning out the flashback chapters and then we'll be onto the main story. Again, if you guys can remember any of the flashbacks, even if it's just a short little snippet of one, let me know. If you can list them in chronological order, even better. It'll help me a lot with chapter 10 onwards.**

**Anyway, I think that's all I have to say for this chapter, so until next time. **


	10. Chapter 9 - Grip of Fear

**Well hi... it's been a while. I don't know about anyone else, but it feels like it's been AT LEAST 84 years since I last uploaded, but now, after finally finishing my most difficult chapter so far, I present the latest instalment for this story. I have a feeling that I'm going to sleep well tonight after staying up late to upload this, but that's not important.**

**What's IS important is putting this up here so you guys can read it. I'll not drag this out any longer, as I've already done that enough. So without further ado, please enjoy!**

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this once barren heart of mine  
Colder and emptier without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

-February 12th X778-

* * *

With a flash of crimson, a massive concussive force struck the area. The ground was torn asunder by the explosion, sending fragments of stone and clods of dirt hurtling through the air with alarming speed. In a deafening cacophony of noise, the resulting shockwave swept past and the raining rubble sang a merry tune as it struck the ground.

Natsu Dragneel dropped to his knees, exhausted from expending so much of his magic in one attack. Breathing heavily, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, grinning as he gazed at the destruction around him.

"Oops, guess I overdid it," he said with just a hint of remorse. In response to his words, a slightly muffled, but very irritated female voice chimed in.

"Oh really? Bit of an understatement, since you could have killed one of us, but whatever."

Natsu looked behind him to his companion- or rather, he tried to. What greeted him wasn't his comrade, but rather a tall earthen wall.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"What does it look like?" the voice replied, clearly irritated. "I wasn't altogether eager to get brained by a stray rock, so I put up a shield just in case."

With those words, the wall disintegrated into a fine grit and collapsed, revealing the young girl who had taken shelter behind it. Though she was slim and of no more than average height for her age, she had a well-proportioned figure. As was usual for her, her current outfit made it fairly obvious that she was fond of dark clothing. She wore a simple dark grey shirt, which she'd tucked into her black pencil skirt. Her black suede jacket was left undone and its short sleeves failed to hide her delicate forearms and wrists. The calf-length black suede lace-up boots that she wore, once so immaculate, were now caked in dust and mud. Showing no sign of concern for her ruined clothes, the girl instead wore an expression of disinterest, her purple eyes studying the ravaged landscape around them.

"My god, you really don't know how to hold back, do you?" she said, exasperated. She scratched the back of her head with one hand, tousling her pink hair, which she wore in a chin-length bob. "It'll be years before this place fully recovers."

"I can't help that!" Natsu complained. "I needed somewhere to train and this was the best place for it."

Strangely enough, this wasn't just an excuse- this really had been the ideal place for him to practice his magic. Ever since he had arrived at the guild, he had felt the desire to train and to grow even stronger, so that he could be the best that he could be. Maybe deep down he had felt that this was what he needed, that this would somehow bring him closer to finding Igneel. Whatever the reason, he had set out to find somewhere where he could hone his skills. Unfortunately, due to the nature of his magic, training in the city would only put people in danger, so he was forced to search for a suitable training ground elsewhere. A few months ago, he came to find this place- a bleak patch of wilderness to the south of Magnolia. It was a place with little in the way of plant or animal life and was off the beaten track, yet easy to get to. Here, he could train in peace, confident that no-one would accidentally stumble into the metaphorical firing line.

At first, everything went swimmingly. Between jobs, he would come here on a fairly frequent basis and have a blast blowing things up. After some time, he started trying to experiment more with his magic, trying to push the limits of what he could do, forever pursuing something bigger. Some days he would train his fire magic, while on other days he would use lightning instead and before long, he started to notice a subtle progression of his abilities. The magic came easier to him now, his spells became more powerful and less demanding. All-in-all, it was very promising- and that was when he ran into his first problem. You see, when you make a habit of destroying things on an almost daily basis, eventually you'll run out of things to destroy. It was around six weeks ago when Natsu realised that he'd hit this point, as his training ground had been so thoroughly devastated that there was nothing left.

Following his setback, Natsu had happened to bump into the young lady next to him while he was at the guild. Her name was Alaya Esta and she was a practitioner of Matter Manipulation magic, which allowed her to alter the structure of practically any material. Amongst other things, this type of magic allowed her to mould a substance into any form that she wished, which was something that Natsu had found highly interesting. Somehow, he had gotten it into his head that this girl would be a good training partner- she could use her magic to form objects and he could then use said objects as targets. While she had been resistant to the idea at first, she'd eventually had enough of his grovelling and caved.

_'Though, to be honest, it looks like she's already regretting it,'_ Natsu observed, watching her face closely.

Alaya sighed and muttered to herself. "Why am I out here babysitting this kid?" she asked the air.

"Probably because I buy you sweets afterwards?" Natsu answered.

Alaya's mood brightened considerably at the mention of her favourite treat. You see, she had a great love for anything sweet, with a particular penchant for baked goods. However, as she rarely went on jobs, she didn't have the dispensable income necessary to buy the food for herself as frequently as she liked. Once Natsu learned that he could bribe Alaya to train with him, it was game over. As long as he could afford to buy whichever treat she had a craving for at the time, he could get a few hours of training in before she had enough.

"In that case, should we carry on?" she asked. The anticipation in her voice was palpable and it was clear that her mind was already on her reward rather than the task at hand. Despite her distraction, she adopted a ready stance, sliding her left foot slightly forwards and out to one side, raising her hands parallel to the ground. Then, with an overly-dramatic air, she slowly lifted her hands further. As she did so, the fragments of rock that were scattered around them rose up, mirroring her movements, before coming to a stop. For a moment, it was like they were frozen in time, immersed in a heavy snowstorm- then by clenching her hands, she brought the moment to an end. In a tumultuous whirlwind, the stone fragments whizzed through the air, forming into large clusters. With a slight gesture, she sent the newly formed boulders gliding through the air, scattering them on the ground in front of Natsu.

"Wow... it's still as cool as the first time," Natsu said in a quiet voice, once again in awe of Alaya's magic. "But why the... er..." He trailed off, choosing instead to imitate her unusual gestures.

Alaya pondered the question for a moment. "I'm not sure," she said finally. "It just feels right. Plus, it helps me focus... as if it somehow makes it easier to control stuff."

"Ok... that kinda makes sense," he replied. Though in truth, he wasn't quite sure how or why it made sense. "Anyway, it's time to break stuff!"

Eager not to waste any more time, he dashed forwards, once again enacting his signature dance of destruction. He mixed in a series of punches and kicks, as well as blasting the boulders from a distance, using his fire and lightning interchangeably. Within minutes, he was down to his last couple of targets.

"Here we go!" he cried, rushing forward to deliver the final blows. He charged the first boulder and drew back his fist, before hurling a mighty punch. A split second before the moment of impact, his magic surged forth and his fist was engulfed in flame. His strike immediately disintegrated the rock around the impact site and caused fractures to race out across the boulder's surface. The flames poured through the cracks in the rock, ripping it apart and splitting the boulder into several large pieces. Without missing a beat, he spun around on the spot by pivoting on one foot and pushed off the ground, leaping towards the last boulder.

He arced through the air like a javelin in flight. As he neared his target, he tucked in his limbs and turned his movement into a flip.

"Down you go!" he cried, stretching out his right leg to drop a kick on top of the rock. "**Fire Dragon Talon.**"

There was a blinding flash of light as his lightning-infused attack blasted the boulder, accompanied by a short, sharp crack and a mild thunderclap. The thundering sound rolled across the land, echoing ever so slightly as it faded into the distance. Having landed on his feet, Natsu took a step back to assess the damage from his attack.

"Huh..." he said.

"What?" Alaya asked.

"It's... still standing," he replied. Far from being destroyed, the boulder in front of him seemed relatively intact, much to his surprise. "It's weird," he intoned. "I smashed that last rock to pieces, but this one is fine."

Alaya stepped closer to take a look. Immediately noticing the stark differences between the two, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"You're right," she confirmed. "Strange... I wonder why?"

She paced around the second boulder, taking a closeup look at it. "Are you sure you even hit this one?" she asked finally.

"Of course I did!" he answered indignantly. "Wait... you weren't paying attention?"

"No, I was cloud watching," she retorted. "I find that far more interesting than watching you beat up a bunch of rocks."

"Tsk... some training partner you are," he grumbled.

Alaya looked at him with an expression of mock confusion. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked exaggeratedly. "I get to work on my modelling and you get to punch stuff. That sounds like the perfect partnership to me!" She dropped the sarcastic tone, instead, giving him an apathetic look. "In all seriousness now, where did you hit this thing?"

"On the top," he answered. Alaya merely grunted in reply and snapped her fingers. With a rush of magic, the ground underneath her started to bulge upwards, lifting her into the air. After a few seconds, she released the magic and the ground stopped moving, leaving her standing on a small mound. Now several feet taller, she placed both her hands on the boulder and leant forward to get a better look at the impact site.

"Ah, I see," she blurted.

"What?" asked Natsu.

"Looks like you actually did quite a bit of damage. It's just that it's less noticeable," she explained. She held out her hand over the boulder, indicating a spot on the top that he couldn't see.

"There's a pretty big hole right here and as far as I can tell-" she started, trailing off. She thrust her hand into the hole and then dived even further in, leaving her buried up to the shoulder in the rock. "Your attack almost bored a hole straight through this thing."

"Huh, why? I was trying to make it explode!" he complained.

"Hmm..." said Alaya thoughtfully. "If I had to take a guess, it's probably down to the fundamental differences between your two elements."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Natsu, I know you're not so stupid that you can't tell the difference between fire and lightning," she scoffed. "Fire and lightning are both very powerful, but they have completely different properties, so you can't expect them to work the same in every situation."

She stepped down off her mound and gestured all around them. "If you don't believe me, you can just take a look around. All of this is your handiwork and nobody else's. You know what magic you used and you know the results. I'm pretty sure that you can tell just as well as I can that some of your attacks worked better than others. Now, it looks to me that you've trained your lightning magic enough that it's almost as strong as your fire magic. So, you need to ask yourself is why your lightning didn't work as well as your fire today."

Natsu looked at her blankly. When he failed to offer up any sort of response, Alaya cursed in annoyance. "Fine, I guess I can spell it out for you. Your fire has a lot of force behind it and is great at blowing things up, which is not something your lightning is particularly good at. Buuut, your lightning is good at piercing through stuff and is a lot more precise than your fire. _Those_ are the main differences between the two."

"Oh," said Natsu, finally comprehending what she was getting at. "If my lightning isn't very good at destroying stuff, I guess it's useless. I'll just have to keep training my fire magic instead then."

Alaya sighed. "Clearly you didn't get what I was trying to say after all. But if that's your choice, so be it. Who am I to argue?" She took up her stance once more, ready to conjure up some more targets. Just like before, the various pieces of earth and rock began to float into the air- then they dropped to the ground.

Natsu looked at Alaya in confusion. Just as he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, he felt something. It was a cold pinprick sensation on his skin. A moment later, he felt the same sensation elsewhere, then again somewhere else. He looked up and saw the thick clouds that soared high above. Feelings the same sensation on his face, he realized what it was that he was feeling- raindrops. And from the looks of it, they were in for a heavy downpour.

Alaya relaxed, letting her arms drop down to her sides. Then she slowly and deliberately turned and walked away. "I've had enough for today, I'm going back to town." He knew better than to try and stop her, so he said nothing. However, she took a few more steps, before unexpectedly stopping.

"Listen Natsu," she said, still facing away from him. He turned to look at her and she continued on: "If you want to become a better wizard, you have to know your magic. You need to know what makes your magic effective and work out the best way to use it. Even more importantly, you need to find out where your weaknesses lie and find a way to make up for them. Brute force isn't enough to reach the top, so if you want the strength to succeed in this world, you need to learn to fight smart too."

She made as if to move on but stopped as something else came to mind.

"Also, about my compensation," she began.

_'Oh, here we go,'_ Natsu thought.

"It's looking very likely that I'll get caught in this rain before I get back to town. And you know how much I hate rain," she said solemnly. "So, you owe me extra for that- I'm thinking the double chocolate brownie cakes from Maxwell's Patisserie... you know, that place down in the south-west quarter? I think it's the least you can do after today."

He grimaced with displeasure- the brownie cakes that she had mentioned were one of the more luxurious items on the menu and as such, had quite the hefty price tag. But if that was the price that he had to pay, then so be it.

"Sure, I can do that. But before you go..." he started.

"Hmm?" Alaya paused and turned her head towards him ever so slightly.

"Could you make me some more targets... please?" he asked politely.

She sighed ever so slightly and complied with his request, though this time without the theatrics. "There," she said. "I made you a few extras, so go nuts. And don't forget what you owe me." With those words, she left for real, leaving Natsu to his own devices.

_'Heh, as if I'd ever be able to forget when you keep reminding me,'_ Natsu thought to himself. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned to focus on the targets once more. But try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to carry on with his training. He stood there for a long time as the rain started to pour down, while Alaya's words continued to circle around in his head.

* * *

Several hours passed before Natsu finally decided to return to town. The rain- which until recently had been storming down- had eventually lightened off and come to a stop. The clouds had thinned out somewhat during the downpour, revealing hints of the sky above, now tinged with traces of pink and purple. As the rain had come down so heavily, much of the rainwater had been unable to drain away and had instead formed puddles. The dying light of the setting sun reflected off the water and painted the world a deep orange, illuminating his path in a vibrant display of colour.

Though the light was fading, Natsu walked the path back to town with ease, though still preoccupied with his own thoughts. He barely noticed when he left the dirt paths and reached the main road back to town. In fact, he barely noticed anything until he drew closer to town, where the sounds of some sort of commotion snapped him out of his meditation. He gazed into the distance, where he could just about see panicked figures rushing around near the city gates. His curiosity peaked, he burst into a run and raced back home.

* * *

Night had descended by the time Natsu passed through the city gates. As he trotted up the main street, he was greeted by many voices raised in anger. The long figures that he had seen before had formed a large crowd- from the looks of things, there were several hundred people gathered here now. The question was why.

Despite the chaos all around him, he managed to pick out a few snippets of information from people's conversations.

"Not welcome here-"

"Look at that arm..."

"...some sort of demon..."

The townspeople's voices were far from friendly. Their words were laced with fear and hostility, so Natsu could only assume that whatever it was that they were gathered around was something dangerous. If that was the case, then he needed to get in there and deal with the situation before someone got hurt.

"Excuse me!" he cried, trying to force his way through the crowd. "I need to get through!"

His words fell on deaf ears and he was ignored. Calling out all the while, he tried to force his way through the crowd. He managed to get past a few people, slipping into the gaps amongst the tightly packed group. But try as he might, he couldn't get any further. He was buffeted on all sides by the press of people and promptly ejected from the crowd.

Natsu gritted his teeth in anger. _'So, they're going to ignore me, are they?'_ he thought. 'Well, I'll give them something they can't ignore!'

He raised one hand with a devilish grin, pointing to the heavens above. Then he summoned up his magic, felt it surge through his veins. He started to feel a burning sensation build up in his body and the air around him started to crackle with energy. Some of the more sensitive townspeople felt his magic and turned to look at him worriedly, but most remained unaware of his actions. Excellent... what he planned to do would be so much more effective if no-one was expecting it.

As the build-up of his magic reached its terrifying peak, he unleashed it all. A golden lance of lightning streaked upwards with a deafening boom and a horrendous roar as it ripped through the air. The bolt reached up to the clouds themselves, where it set off a huge chain reaction. Lightning stretched across the sky, turning night into day and making the air tremble.

The townspeople recoiled and cried out, fearing a stray lightning strike might smite them down. A deathly calm fell over the crowd and seeing a perfect opportunity, Natsu spoke into the silence.

"Now that I have your attention... please let me through." Though his words were polite, his tone was that of a command, not a request.

He marched forwards and the crowd parted before him, eyeing him warily. He couldn't help but feel a little claustrophobic as the people rushed to fill the empty gaps in his wake, leaving him surrounded by a wall of people. But he didn't give any off any signs of his discomfort, instead, forcing an air of false bravado. He didn't feel as if he was pulling it off very well, but it was apparently enough to convince the townspeople that he knew what he was doing, as they seemed almost eager for him to step forward and deal with the situation. That alone was enough to give Natsu second thoughts, but before he had the chance to change his mind, the wall of people opened up and he was all but thrust forward into the open space beyond.

For the first time, Natsu was able to see what it was that the crowd had been gathered around. At the centre of the clearing, there were three small figures bunched together. The first of the three knelt on the ground hunched into a ball as if hoping that by making themself smaller, they could perhaps disappear entirely. It was impossible to tell what this person looked like, as they wore a dark cloak and had swaddled themself up so tightly that you couldn't see any of their defining features. The only thing that gave you a hint of their character was the ears sewn on their hood and the bedroll that they had slung over their back.

The other two, however, were an open book- one boy and one girl, both had the same white hair and appeared to be about Natsu's age. The girl's hair was cut short and in a severe manner, hanging just below her ears, while the fringe hovered just above her eyebrows. Though there was fear in her blue eyes, there was also defiance, with which she issued a silent challenge to those gathered around her. In contrast to her determined front, her outfit was rather delicate and feminine- a pale pink short-sleeve dress with a magenta collar and placket, as well as a dainty pair of red shoes.

The boy was more sturdily built, dressed in all formal attire. He wore a long-sleeve white shirt and a red string tie, with a grey waistcoat over the top. In a similar fashion, he also wore a pair of dark blue trousers and smart shoes.

Feeling somewhat let down after all his anticipation, Natsu turned to look at the crowd. "Really?" he asked harshly. "You got so scared because of these three?" He gestured to the three hooded figures, who he assumed were children not much older than himself. Three children that apparently evoked so much fear that everybody kept their distance. No-one would meet his eyes, but some muttered something in the way of a reply. Once again, he caught scraps of their words:

"...not human..."

"...a monster..."

"...evil in that arm..."

That wasn't the first time that Natsu had heard something about an arm. He eyed the three figures intently, noting that the one on the ground had shied away whilst the others whispered, wrapping their cloak more tightly around them. It was as if they were trying to avoid the prying eyes... or perhaps hide something.

He crossed the intervening in a flash and shoved aside the young girl who stepped forward to obstruct him. He grabbed onto the person's cloak with an iron grip and tore it off ruthlessly, prepared for the worst... but what he saw was not what he expected. A young girl, not much older than he was. Her long snow-white hair flowed like molten silver, tumbling down past her shoulders. Two long strands hung down past her collarbones and interestingly, unlike the rest of her hair, which was fairly straight, these two strands were gently curled at the ends. Though they were covered somewhat by her fringe, he could see her crystal blue eyes easily. Like the ocean, they had a depth to them that he couldn't even begin to fathom- so much so that he feared that he would drown if he gazed into them for too long. The rest of her features were remarkable too, from her long eyelashes to her flawless skin. She would have been beautiful, angelic even... if not for the haunted expression on her face. Though she was still breathing, there was no life in her body. She turned her empty eyes towards Natsu and shivers ran up and down his spine. Those eyes were devoid of all emotion and for that matter, anything even remotely human.

Transfixed by that stare, Natsu could barely breathe. Unable to wrench his eyes away, he remained frozen, until a peculiar sensation and a sharp cry snapped him out of his stupor.

"Leave our sister alone!"

Natsu looked over his shoulder and saw the little girl that he had pushed aside earlier. She was tugging on the back of his shirt, trying to drag him away from the other girl. Judging from the tears in her eyes, she must have been expecting him to do something drastic.

"Yeah, she hasn't done anything wrong!" the boy piped in. Though he was less aggressive in his challenge, he was just as resolute as the girl was. Natsu's eyes flicked between the three of them briefly and something clicked in his head.

_'I see,'_ he thought. _'They must be related.'_

That explained the similarities in their appearance, as well as the protective attitude the two younger ones were exhibiting. They saw him as a threat to their older sister. The question was, why?

Natsu's eyes drifted back to the eldest sibling, who had curled in on herself, clutching her arms across her stomach. With all the delicacy of a rampaging bull, he grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her to her feet. Immediately, the crowd drew back and a babble of noise rippled throughout. And for the first time, Natsu finally understood their fear.

The girl's forearm had transformed into something truly monstrous. What should have been skin was instead a thick and coarse material not unlike tree bark. Though Natsu gripped the girl's arm firmly, it didn't yield in the slightest. As firm as a rock, it seemed to him that it would have happily mocked his feeble grip if it had been capable of doing so. To make matters worse, it looked as if the substance was spreading further up her arm. Like a climber plant, thin tendrils stretched greedily outwards, invading her flesh and pulsating in a disturbing manner. The outer part of her forearm had many purple pustule-like crystals embedded in it, some of which looked like they were about to burst at any second.

Though he wasn't quite sure why Natsu had the awful feeling that there was something more going on beneath the surface. It was not something that could be heard seen or heard, but he felt it keenly- a distinct feeling of wrongness. He knew that he couldn't do anything in good conscience without further information. There was only one avenue left to him, one last thing that he could do to determine the cause of this transformation. With an overwhelming feeling of dread, he activated his Dragonsense and took a good look at her arm. It was a decision that he regretted instantly.

The girl's arm contained an incredible amount of magical energy, which simmered like a witch's concoction boiling over a fire. Traces of the same magic had spread throughout her body, although at a much lower concentration. That was terrifying enough, but it was merely a secondary concern for him at that moment. His Dragonsense may have revealed more information to him, but it also had its drawbacks. While he had been unable to perceive the nature of that magic before, it was now clear as day. That previous feeling of wrongness that he had experienced before was now amplified a hundred times over and with it came a sickening feeling that he couldn't quite explain. A feeling of death and decay, hatred and despair. An overwhelming amalgamation of every possible negative emotion and state of being.

It was a thing of pure evil.

Barely suppressing the urge to vomit, Natsu managed to utter just a few words.

"What is this?" he asked with horror. "It's like something from a nightmare."

In response to his words, the crowd began to yell once more and the little girl renewed her efforts to pry him away from her sister. But Natsu paid little attention to either- because now he had a decision to make and it wasn't one he couldn't make lightly. He hadn't the slightest clue as to what this magic was, but he was as sure as could be that it was something dangerous. Whoever this girl was, she was a potential threat to everyone around her, regardless of her intentions.

It was quite possible that her intentions were entirely pure. She and her family had come all this way, travelling from god-knows-where with next to no supplies. It was clear that they were desperate- perhaps they were searching for something or had come here to pursue a new life. If that was the case, shouldn't they have the right to do so?

On the other hand, turning her away would be the smart decision. Logically speaking, it was better to forsake one person- and by extension, her two siblings- if it would guarantee the safety of the town. It was the safest option… but was it the right one?

This was what he debated in his mind as he stared into the girl's eyes. Where before he had only seen emptiness, he now saw fear. It was the first time he had seen her express any human emotion- and it was all because of him. Because of the way he loomed over her, holding her in a vice-like grip. Because of the fierce, almost murderous energy that he gave off. Because as far as she was concerned, he was the avatar of the people's animosity and bigotry, the one who was to bring about her downfall. When he looked into those eyes, all he felt was pity. Pity for this young girl who was being persecuted for simply being the way she was, even though she likely had no control over it. So, he asked himself, was it right to turn her away? Did he have it in him to do such a thing?

No. He wasn't the kind of person that could heartlessly abandon someone in need.

"You guys look like you need some help," he said. "Let me give you a hand."

His words caused an uproar amongst the onlookers. The people hurled insults and threats, roaring at the top of their lungs, while Natsu looked on in dismay. These people were homeowners, shopkeepers and farmers- in other words, ordinary folk. But right now, they were an unruly mob out for blood. At that moment, their fear was the only thing holding them in check, but there was no telling how long that might last. Natsu had to do something and quickly at that, while he still had the chance.

And so, he tried to plead with the crowd, doing his best to make them see reason.

"It's pretty obvious that she's been cursed," he reasoned, though he had no proof on the matter. "We have a wizard guild right here in town. There's gotta be someone who can help her.

The crowd jeered and shot him down ruthlessly.

"You don't know anything!"

"We don't care, we just want her outside our walls!"

So much for the concept of charity for a stranger. The townspeople couldn't care less for three young children looking for a chance- they were merely looking out for themselves, everyone else be damned. Natsu tried again to plead with the crowd, but it proved to be a fruitless effort. The space around them began to slowly shrink as the crowd surged forward. He summoned up his lightning once more, hoping it would be enough to deter the advancing townspeople. The golden glow of his magic was enough to make the crowd hesitate... but emboldened as they were by their overwhelming numbers, their hesitation lasted only a few seconds. The three siblings huddled together defensively, but Natsu stood firm, facing down the mob.

This was an impossible situation. When you thought about it, these people weren't monsters or villains, just innocent villagers trying to protect their home. While he could probably fight this many people easily enough, he wasn't skilled enough to take them down without severely injuring them. But if he held back for fear of hurting them, they would eventually overwhelm him.

Just as these hopeless thoughts entered his mind, he felt something. It was like an earthquake, yet it came and went in an instant. The sensation came again a second later, then again and finally, Natsu recognised the sensation for what it was- footsteps.

Something was approaching… and whatever it was, it must be massive.

Within moments, the chaos subsided, leaving silence to rule in its absence. Everyone present was paralyzed by the sheer presence of this enormous entity as it loomed ever closer. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed drastically and the nervous energy of the crowd was so strong it was palpable.

Then, as if hearing an inaudible signal, the crowd turned. Like a swarm of rats, they fled in every direction, flooding down the main road, the smaller minor roads and the alleys alike. In less than a minute, the streets were deserted, bar Natsu and the three siblings. The four of them could hardly breathe, as fearful as they were. In the now quiet night, the monster's footsteps could be heard loudly and clear- slow, regular and drawing ever nearer. And heavy enough that Natsu's teeth rattled with every step.

A dry throat and stiff muscles- both signs of nervousness, or fear. Natsu cursed inwardly for allowing himself to feel such an emotion and stepped forward, facing in the direction of the approaching monster.

"Alright, guess you must be pretty big, huh?" he muttered. "About time… I was lookin' for someone who could give me a real fight. Bring it on!"

With those words, his fire emerged, rushing out over his body. Covered by his cloak of flames, he took up a defensive stance, ready for battle. He stood defiant, as the footsteps drew nearer and nearer… then stopped.

"...Huh?"

With a tilt of his head and a puzzled expression, Natsu peered into the shadows. Then, he finally saw the 'giant' that he had been expecting.

Walking with a purposeful stride, one lone figure emerged from one of the side streets. This figure happened to be rather familiar to Natsu, though the man's outfit was not one that he usually wore. Clad in a white cloak with a white fur trim at the neck and sleeves and bearing an ornate wooden staff, he radiated an authoritative, almost regal air. So great was the contrast from the man's usual attire, that for a moment, Natsu was rendered speechless.

"Master Makarov?" he spluttered finally.

"Good evening, Natsu," Makarov replied breezily. "I must admit, you caught me by surprise. I didn't expect to see you here, of all people."

"Really? Who were you expecting?" Natsu replied. It wasn't the most urgent question on his mind, but shocked as he was, he wasn't able to think of any others at that time.

Makarov mused over the question for a moment. "An interesting question, my boy. Suffice to say, there are a number of people that I had anticipated seeing, just not yourself."

Noting that Makarov hadn't really answered the question, Natsu simply nodded.

"Now, my boy," the old man continued. "Tell me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't look like the sort of place where you'd spend your free time, especially at this time of night. Care to let me know what's going on?"

Even though he didn't know much about the situation himself, Natsu explained to Makarov what had happened to the best of his ability. Starting from the time when he first realized that something was going on, to when the crowd ran off, he left nothing out. Makarov didn't say much during his explanation, only asking a few brief questions for clarification occasionally. He listened intently, but gave little in the way of a reaction, up until Natsu mentioned the girl's arm. All he did was raise his eyebrows slightly, but that was enough for Natsu to know that he had the man's undivided attention.

"I see," said Makarov. "Your curse theory is definitely plausible. I would very much like to take a good look at the girl's arm later, but first things first, let's make sure they're alright, shall we?"

With those words, he turned his attention to the three siblings. Unsurprisingly, the two younger children were eyeing both Natsu and Makarov warily. The other one, however, was once again staring at the floor with a fixed, distant gaze. They approached the trio carefully, similar to how one would approach a startled animal.

"Don't be scared, children," said Makarov gently. "You're safe now."

The girl flashed him a look that was half hopeful, half sceptical. "Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Makarov Dreyar. I am the guild master of the local wizard guild, Fairy Tail," he answered. "This young man is Natsu," he added. "He is also a member of Fairy Tail. Would you care to provide me with your names?"

Suddenly, the girl clammed up. Similarly, her brother was also disinclined to answer. It appeared that Makarov had expected as much, as he simply nodded slightly.

"I can see you don't want to answer that question. So here another, arguably more important question. What brings you here, to Magnolia?" he asked. "Given what Natsu has already told me about your sister's condition, I can surmise what has happened, more-or-less… but I would rather hear the story from your own lips. The nearest town is quite some distance away and as far as I can tell, you don't appear to have an escort. So what drove the three of you to travel this far, with little more than the clothes on your backs?"

"...I guess there's not much point in hiding it," the boy answered. "And you did help us after all. If you listen, I'll tell you the whole story."

* * *

If a man must be strong, then I am no man  
My family is my only crutch  
For without them, I will fall  
Oh how I wish to be strong  
To protect the ones that I love  
But I fear that is a hopeless dream

* * *

-January 10th X778-

It was a dark and dreary day. It was to be expected- the weather in Fiore was always rough at this time of year. But over the last few months, Winter's reign had proven to be a particularly brutal one and it appeared that the cold temptress wasn't yet ready to relinquish her hold on the land. Great hulking rain clouds hung menacingly overhead, drenching the earth with light, but persistent showers. Biting winds swept past, tousling the trees. If you were to compare the world to a canvas, then this would be a monotone painting, devoid of all colour. The weather was most fitting for the solemn occasion that was taking place at that moment.

In the midst of all this, a small group of people were gathered here. Though their dark formal clothes were wet through and the biting wind stole what little warmth they had left to them, they stood unmoving. One man, who wore long robes, was attempting to deliver some form of ceremonial speech, yet the winds snatched away his words and- in truth- nobody was really listening. Their eyes were fixed on the ground, heads lowered in a show of respect, whilst at the same time, they wished for this to end so that they could return home. Amongst that small group, there were three figures who stood out- three young children, who all had the same white hair. Their sorrow was greater than any other and they struggled to hold back tears, as pallbearers lowered two caskets into an open grave.

Indeed, the weather really was most fitting. It set the perfect tone for a funeral.

As the gravediggers began to fill in the grave, the children turned their eyes to the grave's headstone. It wasn't anything elaborate- just a plain marble block with simple carvings, suitable for a family that wasn't well off. The words that were engraved on it weren't fancy, but there were a few on there that drew their attention.

"Here lies Tobias & Carmen Strauss"

It was just a few simple words, but it shook their world to the core… for this was to be the grave of their parents.

The youngest child started to cry softly. Seeing her younger sister cry, the eldest put her hand on her shoulder and pulled her close in a comforting embrace.

"Now now, Lisanna," she said gently. "You know how much mum and dad hated to see you cry. You need to put on your brave face for them now."

The young girl named Lisanna gave something resembling a smile, even as the tears still streamed from her eyes. Wiping her snotty nose with the back of her hand, she clung to her big sister tightly.

"What are going to do now, Mira?" asked the boy.

The eldest squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I'm not sure, Elfman," she responded. "But whatever happens, I'll look after you. Things may be hard at first, but in the end, it'll all work out."

The three of them said their final goodbyes to the parents who had raised them, each making a promise. When the ceremony ended, the three of them left without looking back. There was no going back- all they could do was look to the future.

* * *

Until the untimely death of Tobias and Carmen, the Strauss family had lived happily in a small, but well-maintained cottage on the edge of the village known as Orleta. It was a very isolated place, as it was built in a valley surrounded by mountains. With only five hundred residents, it was a closely knit community where everyone was at the least able to recognise the faces of everyone else living there. As the village was far from affluent, the people here put great stock in looking out for each other in times of need.

The Strauss family weren't particularly liked within the community, but regardless, there were a few well-meaning neighbours who were willing to help look after the three orphaned children. But unfortunately, their good intentions weren't enough- looking after three children is a difficult thing and the poor villagers weren't able to care for the children for long. As such, the siblings kept getting passed back and forth from one neighbour to another, unable to settle anywhere for more than a few days. After two weeks, there was no-one left who was willing or able to offer them shelter.

Except for one person- the local priest.

It was unusual for such a small village to possess a church, yet for some reason, someone had decided to build one here. The priest in question, who ran this small church by himself, had recently requested permission from his superiors to start up an orphanage. Evidently, his superiors had accepted his request, as one evening, the priest had extended an invitation to the three siblings.

The following morning, they made their way to the church, which was located near the edge of the village. Elfman trailed absentmindedly behind his sisters as they walked down the cobbled street, almost bumping into the two of them when they stopped suddenly.

"We're here," said Mira softly.

He looked up, seeing that they had in fact arrived at the building. While he had walked past the church a few times before, this was the first time that he had taken a good look at it.

It was a simple-looking building, with little in the way of outside decoration. It was long and thin, with a steep gable roof made from grey tiles. White wooden cladding covered the outer walls in horizontal stripes, interrupted only by a few tall, arched windows. There were a few steps leading up to the front entrance, where there was a small porch area. Just above that stood a short bell tower, where the priest would no doubt ring to call people to service.

Even though this was to be their new home, Elfman could hardly think of this place as such. There was just something about the building that didn't feel homely.

At this point, he realized with a start that Mira and Lisanna weren't at his side anymore- they were already traipsing their way up to the church steps. Not eager to be left behind, he lurched after them. Together, they stepped through the open doorway.

The room that they stepped into was rather bare. The plaster walls were white, just like the vast majority of the building's exterior. The floor was made using dark polished wood, either oak or walnut. There was also very little in terms of furnishings- rows upon rows of wooden pews and a long rug that ran up the centre aisle. At the far end of the room, the floor was somewhat raised, with two steps leading up to the platform. The altar was located upon this raised area, directly in front of the doors and there was a lectern towards the left wall. Just behind the lectern, on the left side of the back wall, was a doorway that presumably led to areas that were off-limits to visitors.

They paused just inside the entrance for a moment, taken aback by the emptiness before them. They hadn't expected the church to be busy at this time of day, but shouldn't there be somebody around at least? If not the villagers, then surely the priest should be nearby.

"Hello," called Mira gently. "Is anyone here?"

She waited expectantly for a response, but none came forth.

"Strange," she muttered. She walked slowly forwards, towards the altar. Elfman and Lisanna both followed her closely, albeit more nervously.

"I don't like this, sis," Lisanna whimpered.

"Yeah, me neither," Elfman agreed. "Something about this place doesn't feel right."

"You two sure like to exaggerate," chuckled Mira lightheartedly, though in truth, she also felt that something was a little off. "You're just imagining things, now come on."

She walked a little further up the aisle and called again, a little louder this time. Still no response. They waited impatiently for a few minutes, but no-one came out to greet them. Mira huffed in frustration and all but marched up the aisle to the door at the back left corner. She rapped her knuckles against the wood and listened intently for any sound of movement beyond the door. A minute or so passed and still, she heard nothing, so she tried again, a little harder this time. She waited two minutes this time, yet she still heard nothing.

"Tsk, what kind of priest doesn't keep an eye on his church?" she scoffed.

She tried the door handle and gave the door a shove, but it wouldn't budge an inch… it must be locked. She gave the door a hard kick to vent her frustration- and promptly clutched her aching foot, wincing. Was this door made out of wood, or iron?

"Mira?"

The distressed tone in her little sister's voice caught her attention instantly. She flicked her head to the right and latched her eyes onto Lisanna, who was stood in front of the altar, turned away from her. The little girl just lifted her arm slowly and pointed towards the right wall.

"H-He's… just lying there," she stammered.

Confused beyond all belief, Mira walked to her sister's side slowly, circling around the altar- then, she finally saw what her sister had spotted. She herself had missed it when she'd walked past, as she had beelined straight for the door, but just before the front-most pew on the right side lay a limp form, dressed in black robes.

"Oh my goodness," she gasped. She ran over to the man, who lay prone, face down on the floor. "Are you alright?" she asked, shaking his shoulder gently.

When the man didn't respond, she turned to her siblings, who stood there with shocked expressions.

"Quickly," she said. "Help me turn him over,"

The three of them turned him over as gently as they could, doing their best to avoid exacerbating any injuries he may have had. Then they saw his face and recoiled.

The priest's face had turned ash-grey and was contorted into an expression of absolute terror. His reddened eyes bulged in their sockets, seemingly about to pop out at any moment and beads of dried blood had accumulated around his eyelids. Mira's eyes trailed down to his throat, where she saw strange marks around his throat, as if he'd been strangled with a thick cord. With her heart in her mouth, she put her hand to his neck, checking for a pulse.

"H-he's gone," she said, shocked. Lisanna and Elfman whimpered at her words, feeling even more unnerved than before.

"Any idea what happened to him?" asked Elfman with trepidation.

"No… Honestly, I'm not sure why anyone would target the priest, of all people," Mira answered. She shuddered, then continued. "But I wouldn't want to meet the person that did this."

Something clicked in her head and she stood up suddenly. "We need to leave- now." She ushered her younger siblings back up the aisle, though they were just as eager to leave as she was. The growing sense of dread that she now felt only grew stronger with each step. She wasn't sure what was causing her to feel this way, she only knew that she absolutely had to get out of there while she still could.

They had almost reached the exit when the doors abruptly and inexplicably slammed shut, dashing their hopes of escape. The three siblings froze in shock, but after a moment, Lisanna ran forward and tried the door, to no avail. Somehow, they had been locked in here. That alone was enough to confirm their fears. Something was amiss and while they couldn't say for sure as to why it was the case, they felt as if they were not alone in the room.

They stood back to back in the centre of the room, eyes scouring every corner, yet they saw nothing out of place. Their shallow breathing and the gentle whispers of the wind outside was all that could be heard within the otherwise still chamber. Despite straining every sense, they couldn't detect the source of their anxiety.

They were so focused on looking for the perpetrator, that at first, Mira ignored the dust motes that drifted down in front of her face. She sneezed as the dust tickled her nose, startling her siblings.

"Sorry," she muttered apologetically.

She turned her attention back towards the search, but once again, she was distracted by falling dust. With an irritated sneer, she looked up towards the rafters high above- and caught a glimpse of an indistinct figure, poised like a snake prepared to strike.

"Look out!" she shrieked. She grabbed hold of her siblings and leapt to one side, just before the thing threw itself towards them, crashing to the floor where they had been standing. The impact threw her off balance and she fell to the floor, momentarily stunned. However, she recovered quickly and sprung to her feet, facing the repulsive creature that had flung itself at them.

The creature before them was like something out of a nightmare. It was vaguely humanoid in appearance, but its body consisted of a muddy-looking brown bark. Clusters of purple pustules were scattered over its forearms, head and neck, while its midriff was covered in thick green moss. There were a multitude of holes over its form, giving one a clear view directly into its body. It was apparent that this thing didn't possess any internal organs- it was simply a hollow husk, a mere imitation of a living being with no capacity for reason. And it had its sights set on the three of them.

Mira stood slightly apart from her siblings, holding the creature's attention for a moment, but as Elfman and Lisanna struggled to their feet, the creature turned slightly towards them. She immediately noticed that the creature also had a tail. It was long and thin, but appeared to be formed of bone. As its tail flicked back and forth in a serpentine manner, she thoughts jumped to the priest and his injuries.

_'This thing is what killed the priest,'_ she thought. _'It must have strangled him with its tail. It's already killed once… if I don't do something, we'll all die here.'_

"Hey, you!" she barked, drawing the thing's attention. "I'm guessing it's you who killed the priest? What did he do to deserve that?"

"What are you doing, Mira?" Elfman hissed.

"Getting its attention," she replied, in an equally hushed tone. "I'll keep it busy, the two of you need to find us a way out of here."

He attempted to argue, but with one look, she shut him up. To anyone else, it would have looked like a simple glance, but he knew differently… to him, it conveyed more than any words could. That one look contained all of her fear and desperation, but above all else, her resolution to see this through. Such is the bond between siblings, that he knew her intentions from the simplest gesture.

_'You've always been so much braver than me, big sis,'_ he thought wistfully. _'Will I ever be strong enough to protect you, like you protect me?'_ He lowered his eyes in shame and nodded. He took a hold of Lisanna's hand and skulked back to take shelter behind a pew, while Mira addressed the creature once more, keeping its gaze fixed solely on her.

"Do you normally kill so casually?" she demanded. "Or did he just catch you on a bad day?"

The creature cocked it's head to one side, as if contemplating her question. Then, with no obvious reason, it's face contorted into a snarl and it unleashed a banshee-like screech that left her ears ringing. It was obviously hostile because immediately afterwards, it dropped down on all fours and charged straight for her.

Mira gave a short shriek of surprise and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the beast's strike. Time seemed to move in slow motion as the beast's claw-like fingers scythed through the air, missing her by inches. Its momentum carried it past her and it scrabbled on the smooth wooden floors as it tried to change direction. As soon as it stopped, it came at her again, though a little slower this time. Mira dashed down between the pews, then, as she felt the beast draw close behind her, vaulted over one of them. She wasn't able to see the beast lash out at her, but she felt the rush of air as it struck at her back and missed. She heard the sound of wood splintering as the pew took the brunt of the impact, felt the splinters of wood that showered over her. It was much too close for comfort.

She leapfrogged over several more pews, putting a little distance between her and the monster as it awkwardly clambered over them to get to her. Now that she had a little more breathing room, she was able to spare a second or two to assess the situation. The beast, while incredibly fast, didn't appear to be very agile, so as long as she could keep it off balance, she could stay one step ahead of it. She spared a quick glance around the room and caught a glimpse of movement- it was Elfman and Lisanna, sneaking their way up the back of the room. She watched in dismay as Elfman tried the door at the back of the church.

_'No, Elfman, that door is locked,'_ she thought. _'Did you not see me try it earlier?'_

He stubbornly tried again, but he mustn't have been conscious about how much noise he was making, because the door started to rattle. Loudly enough that the monster was able to hear it.

As the monster turn and started to stalk towards the two of them, Mira cursed inwardly.

_'Damn it,'_ she thought. _'You were supposed to be sneaky!'_

The monster burst into a run and Mira sprinted after it as it converged on her vulnerable sibling.

"Elfman!" she screamed. "Look out!"

At her cry, Elfman turned just in time to come face-to-face with the monster. It drew itself up to its full height and raised one arm, preparing to strike him down. In a desperate attempt to prolong his life, he raised his arms to cover his head, shielding himself from the monster's attack. He didn't even attempt to run, or fight back… he was simply prepared for death.

_'Don't worry, Elfman… I won't let you die here,'_ Mira thought. No matter what, she was determined to save her brother and sister, even if it meant doing something reckless. So when a _particularly_ reckless idea popped into her head, she jumped on it quickly, before she could have any second thoughts.

She grabbed hold of the monster's tail and yanked it as hard as she could, pulling it off balance. Enraged, the beast turned on her and swatted at her with the back of its hand. The blow was hard enough to throw her to the floor and she slid for a few feet before coming to a stop, winded. But the monster didn't stop there- instead, it came for her again and slammed one hand down onto her chest, pinning her to the floor.

"Mira!" screamed Elfman.

Mira struggled with all her might to escape the monster's grip, using both hands to try and pry its hand off of her. Though the pressure it was exerting on her made it hard to breathe, she managed to croak out a few words.

"Go… run away."

"No, I won't leave you!"

The monster's jaw gaped open in a silent snarl and a noxious purple mist poured out of its open maw. Mira tried to avoid breathing it in, but try as she might, she couldn't live without oxygen. She took shallow breaths, but still, she felt a horrendous burning sensation as the mist travelled down her throat, like molten lava.

"Don't worry about me… just run," she begged. "I'll catch up to you, I promise."

Despairing in his own helplessness, he conceded to the horrible truth that there was nothing he could do. Grabbing Lisanna's hand, he ran back to the door once again. Throwing all caution to the wind, he battered against the door with his shoulder, repeatedly ramming it as hard as he could. Behind him, Mira began to scream in agony. Her pain echoed in his heart as he gave one last hard shove, breaking the flimsy latch and bursting through the door. They emerged into what appeared to be a small storage room. There were a number of boxes, baskets and barrels scattered around and a single door on the right wall. In other words, there was only one way to go. With a heart heavy from guilt, he snatched Lisanna up in his arms and ran through the open door. As he did so, there was a blinding flash of light from behind him and the monster bellowed loudly. But driven by blind panic, he didn't stop to look back. Instead, he fled into the next room, which appeared to be the priest's living quarters and ran over to the first door he saw. He shouldered it open and relief washed over him as he stumbled through the door, sunlight bathing his face.

They had escaped… but likely at the cost of their sister's life. Even now, she fought for her life inside that church. There was nothing that they could do- they didn't have the strength to fight something like that. All they could do was wait… wait and pray that Mira would fulfil her promise.

* * *

The normally serene village of Orleta had become a hive of activity. Strange lights and noises had been emanating from the church for the last half hour, which was something that the villagers found highly disturbing. Most of these people had decided to take shelter in their homes, believing they would be safer there. However, there were some who decided to stand by and watch the strange events taking place.

Amongst this rather small group of people, Elfman and Lisanna stood side by side outside the church's main entrance. They watched on tenterhooks as the strange situation unfolded before them.

"That light…" muttered Lisanna. "It's the same as the one we saw when were escaping. Do you think it means Mira's still fighting that thing in there?"

He couldn't help but notice the hopeful tone in her words. "I don't know. Maybe," answered Elfman neutrally. He had spoken those words very carefully… after all, he didn't want to get her hopes up too high.

Lisanna smiled gently, not taking her eyes off the church. "She can do it," she said, making Elfman look at her in surprise. "This is Mira we're talking about… she promised she'd come back to us. And sis always keeps her promises."

Elfman nodded begrudgingly. "Yes… she does."

Inside the church, the monster bellowed once again. But something about its cries caught their attention this time- where before there had only been blind rage, there was a note of some other emotion: unease, or- dare they say- fear. Through those tall arch windows, they saw the now familiar purple light, but this time it didn't manifest as a short flash. Instead, it was a consistent glow that gradually increased in intensity to dazzling proportions. Then, when it seemed that the light couldn't grow any brighter, the light flared up suddenly. Immediately afterwards, an intense explosion shattered the windows, sending shards of glass flying outward.

Those spectating cried out in surprise, but Lisanna and Elfman's response was much more extreme. While the others recoiled from the explosion, the two of them both took a half step forward.

"Mira!"

Lisanna's scream was all but drowned out by the sound of the prolonged explosion. One final boom emanated from within the church and the light vanished, as if it had never existed.

The two siblings stood as still as statues, eyes searching wildly for signs of motion. They weren't the only ones either- the villagers watched the church just as intently. Time seemed to stand still, for just a moment. Then the church doors slowly creaked open.

Everyone grew visibly tense, unsure whether to stay or leave. In their decision, they teetered on the edge of action and inaction… but then a figure stepped through those doors. A figure of a young girl, battered and bruised. She had a nasty gash on her forehead that was bleeding profusely. The blood gradually trickled down the side of her face and over one eye, coating her eyelashes like a layer of paint. She held one arm across her torso delicately and was somewhat hunched over, as if she was in great pain. Her other arm hung loosely by her side, but there was something wrong with it, something… unnatural. Unlike the other arm, which appeared normal, this one had instead morphed into something grotesque.

The villagers gasped and whispered, some even going as far as to mutter prayers under their breath. Their expressions were almost exactly duplicated on Elfman and Lisanna's faces… because although the girl before them appeared bizarre, she was still unmistakably-

"...Mira?"

The horror in Lisanna's voice was unmistakable. It was mirrored in the eyes of every person present. Mira took one look at their expressions, saw the accusing glint in their gaze and visibly shrunk. Unable to bear their stares any longer, she turned and ran as fast as she could, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Still shocked by their sister's appearance, the two of them didn't react at first. But their hesitation only lasted a few seconds. They followed their sister, running as fast as their feet could carry them. However, they weren't fast enough to keep up with her and eventually, they lost sight of her. They split up and wandered around for a short while, trying to catch sight of her again, but saw neither hide nor hair of her.

Eventually, Elfman and Lisanna reconvened back where they had last seen Mira. They couldn't be sure where their sister had gone, but they could put their heads together and take an educated guess. It didn't take them long to come up with a complete list of places where Mira could have gone to, as there weren't many places for them to go in this small village. And there was only one place where she was likely to go.

Having agreed on their course of action, the two siblings nodded resolutely and started making their way to that place. The place that was the source of so many happy memories:

Home.

* * *

When Elfman and Lisanna finally arrived at the house that they had been born and raised in, they found the door unlocked. It was a promising sign, as the building had been locked up when they had left this place… and Mira carried the only key.

With shallow breaths and shaking hands, they pushed the door open slowly and crept into the dimly lit room beyond. Their home didn't have an entryway, so the door simply opened up into a kitchen-diner. The afternoon sun streamed through the two windows on either side of the door, illuminating some parts of the room and casting shadows over the rest. Their eyes scoured the room, glancing over the dining table and chairs, the worktops and cupboards and the simple wood-burning stove. Everything in here was simple, as it was all their parents had been able to afford, but it was still home. It felt as if an eternity had passed since they had last visited this place, yet the lack of dust was evidence on the contrary. The place was just as they had left it and that had a lot more impact on them than they cared to admit. But they had not come here to be sentimental… there was something else they needed to focus on right now.

They turned their attention to one shadowed corner, where a cloaked figure squatted beneath the coat rack. The figure was swaddled up tightly with their hood up, so only their lower face was visible. Even so, the two of them had no doubts as to the person's identity.

Lisanna approached the figure and knelt by their side. She drew back their hood, revealing the pale and drawn face of their sister.

"Mira," she said softly.

Mira didn't respond immediately, but after a moment or two, turned to look at Lisanna. She had a strange expression fixed on her face, as if she was being tormented, whilst simultaneously being completely detached from reality.

"Lisanna?" Mira replied. She sounded slightly puzzled, as if she was surprised to see her little sister. "Why are you here?"

"I should be the one asking you that question," Lisanna said with a tense chuckle. Then she sobered up and asked, "Are you alright, sis?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, Mira," Lisanna scolded gently. "You can't convince me you're fine if you're covered in blood."

While Mira had clearly tried to clean the blood off of herself, she hadn't done a particularly good job. Dried streaks of the red substance still covered her face and specks of it had settled on her collarbones.

"You're hurt, aren't you?"

"It's fine, my injuries are healing right now,"

"What are you talking about? You can't heal that fast."

"Lisanna…" Elfman interjected.

"What?" Lisanna asked.

"I think she's right. Her forehead was bleeding before…" he observed.

It was true. Even though the wound on her forehead had been bleeding badly before, there was barely a trace left of the injury.

"Impossible…" Lisanna muttered. "What happened in that church, Mira? Something happened to you, right?"

"I… as you were leaving, that monster had pinned me down to the floor. I was unable to move, unable to breathe. I thought I was going to die. But then… it did something to me."

"What do you mean?"

"There's only one way to describe it. Whatever that thing did to me, this vile abomination-" Mira peeled back the folds of her cloak, gradually uncovering more evidence of her battle with the monster. Her clothes were also covered with spatters of blood and were tattered beyond all belief. But all the while, she carefully kept her right arm covered by her cloak. She took a sharp breath, as if steeling herself for something, then finally revealed the secret that she'd been hinting at.

Finally, Mira showed them her monstrous right hand, exclaiming: "This can only be… the result of a demon's curse."

While Lisanna and Elfman had caught a glimpse of Mira's arm after she'd emerged from the church, it did little to prepare them for seeing it up close. Lisanna barely resisted the urge to back away from the repulsive sight- which she likely would have done, if she weren't worried about hurting Mira's feelings. Instead, she swallowed the bile rising up her throat and listened to the rest of Mira's explanation.

"But… this curse actually helped me. It made me strong enough to fight that demon… strong enough to kill it even. But in exchange, I have to live like this. I've become a monster myself."

"What are you talking about? You saved our lives, Mira!" Lisanna exclaimed. "You're a hero."

The faintest ghost of a smile appeared on Mira's face. "A hero, huh? Can't say that I feel like one, but if my adorable little sister says so, it must be true."

Lisanna laughed uncontrollably, relieved that Mira was returning to normal. The two of them stood up and hugged briefly, though Mira made sure to keep her right arm covered by the cloak.

"Ok then, no use moping around," Mira declared. "First things first, I need to get cleaned up. Then we can focus on other things.

* * *

Perched on the sill of an upstairs window, Elfman watched the sky change as time passed by, pondering the day's events as he did so. He couldn't help but recall how Mira had looked when he left her behind, or when she finally escaped the church.

_'She really fought that demon and beat it?'_ he thought. _'She really is strong. So much stronger than me.'_

As he languished in his pessimistic thoughts, he caught a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. He turned to the window beside him, peering through the warped glass. Though his vision was distorted, he instantly spotted a large number of people approaching the house. With an unexplainable feeling of dread, he raced downstairs to the kitchen. A freshly-bathed Mira sat at the table with a comb in hand, engaged in a fierce battle with the tangled mess that was her hair. Apparently, the war wasn't going well, as Lisanna had also been enlisted to fight against this foe. She stood just behind Mira, using her delicate fingers to pick apart any knots, clearly happy just to be involved.

Mira had also found a clean set of clothes and was now wearing a smart, sleeveless dress, with a black bodice and grey skirt. Around her neck hung a silver locket- a gift from parents, before they passed. It was hard to believe everything that had happened today when they chatted so comfortably like this. More importantly, it warmed his heart to see that Mira was feeling better. Unfortunately, he was about to ruin their good mood.

"There are people outside," he interjected.

He spoke up during a lull in the conversation, just as Lisanna was about to launch into another topic. With such excellent timing, his words caught their attention instantly. It took a second for them to process his words.

"How many?" Mira asked.

"I don't know… I didn't count," he responded. "But there's a lot."

Concerned, Lisanna raced over to the window to have a look and Mira rose to her feet.

"He's right," Lisanna said. "There's a lot… and they look angry."

Mira came over to look over her shoulder, her face darkening when she saw what awaited them outside.

"Elfman, go and pack some bags," Mira urged. "Quickly, we don't have much time."

* * *

In the end, they discovered that the crowd outside was an angry mob. After seeing the ruined church and discovering the priest's corpse, the villagers were looking for someone to blame. Many people had witnessed Mira leaving the church, bearing obvious injuries and an inhuman appearance. As far as they were concerned, they had found their culprit.

Lisanna attempted to speak in Mira's defence, arguing with the mob through the window, but her words fell on deaf ears. The words of a lone child- and one related to the accused at that- did little to sway the mass of arrogant adults, who were convinced that they knew everything they needed to know. The mob continued to get more riled up as time went by, until it seemed as if they'd result to violence. Fortunately, it didn't take long to for Elfman to pack the bags. With the bare essentials in hand, the siblings fled out the back door, running as far as they could. The villagers kept close on their heels, until the siblings crossed a small river, which marked the village's boundary. But the three of them didn't stop… they carried on running until they were halfway up the mountain road, where exhaustion finally caught up with them.

Finally stopping to catch their breath, the three of them looked down into the valley, to the place that had recently been their home.

"Hey…" Elfman panted. "Is that smoke over there?"

"Looks like it," Mira answered. "I'm guessing they decided to burn our house."

Lisanna was wide-eyed with horror. "Why?" she asked. "Why would they do something like that?"

"To make sure we had nowhere to return to, maybe…" Mira speculated. "But whatever their reasoning may be, it's left us with no choice. There's no going back… we can only go forward."

"Where are we supposed to go now, Mira?" Elfman asked anxiously.

"Wherever our feet take us," Mira replied. "If we keep looking… then we'll find somewhere we can call 'home'".

* * *

The next couple of weeks proved to be a difficult time for the three siblings. Without a destination in mind, they wandered aimlessly in their search for civilisation. There were times when they found such a place, where they were able to live among people again, for a short time.

But there were always… accidents.

The result of a careless movement, or a stroke of bad luck. While Mira did her best to keep her malformation a secret, you can only hide a secret such as hers for so long. Once people caught a glimpse of her arm, their kind words and gentle actions were replaced with revulsion and the threat of violence.

It was the same wherever they went.

Again and again, Mira was greeted by the more sinister side of the human psyche- the impulse to shun those that are different. Again and again, she was rejected by the people she met, though she longed to live alongside them in peace. Over the course of their travels, Elfman and Lisanna watched as she became increasingly withdrawn and paranoid, but didn't know what they could do to help her. Eventually, Mira came to believe that the world as a whole was just as heartless and as a result, the three of them began consciously avoiding populated areas as much as possible. They were able to make it work for a while, though things were always tricky. At times, they even went as far as stealing from nearby villages, though they loathed so resort to such dishonest measures.

But eventually, they realized that they had reached the breaking point- they had almost exhausted what little supplies they had left and couldn't afford to avoid people any longer.

It was do-or-die.

So, with great reluctance, Mira conceded that they needed to return to the civilised world. Despite their lack of general direction, they eventually discovered the lake-side town of Magnolia. Even as Mira led her siblings towards those city gates, she hardened her heart for what she knew was about to come.

And the ember of her resentment towards man smouldered in her heart.

* * *

"...You can probably guess what happened then," Elfman said, as he neared the end of his tale. "Someone knocked Mira over and saw her arm. Everyone freaked out and then…"

He turned to look at Natsu at this point. "That's when you turned up. If you hadn't they might have-" He shuddered, not wanting to finish that sentence.

"Indeed, it's lucky that Natsu happened to be passing by," Makarov muttered quietly. Then with a sigh, he added: "It sounds like the three of you have been through a lot, but worry not, we can help you."

"How?" Elfman challenged. "What can you do to help us?"

"First of all, we could offer you shelter for the night," Makarov replied. "Then perhaps in the morning, you could come by the guildhall and I could have a look at your sister's arm. I have studied magic for many years and learned a great deal about its uses. I might even be able to undo the magic that has been placed upon her."

Elfman turned towards Lisanna and the two of them locked eyes for a moment as they engaged in a silent discussion. After a few moments of deliberation, Elfman turned back towards Makarov.

"I mean, thanks for the offer but… we can't accept an offer like that from a stranger," Elfman answered finally.

"I understand that you're a little wary after all you've been through, my boy, but sometimes you have to take a leap of faith,"

The rest of the conversation continued in the same manner. Makarov repeatedly tried to appeal to the two children, but despite their temptation, they weren't going to change their minds at this point. However, Natsu noted with interest that they kept throwing glances at Mira, who was still kneeling and unresponsive. Suddenly an idea popped into his head and he walked over to the girl, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Those two really care about you. They would rather suffer with you than be happy without you," he said.

Her jaw clenched slightly- clearly, his words had gotten through to her, even though she appeared to be out of it.

"They pretend to be ok because they don't want to make you worry. But inside, they're struggling with everything," he prodded. "We can help them, but they won't go anywhere without you. If you come with us, they'll follow. But I need you to trust us… for their sake."

Mira's eyes shifted marginally and there was a subtle, but noticeable change in her expression. Without so much as glancing at him, Mira rose to her feet.

"Elfman, Lisanna, let's go with them," she said decisively.

"Mira?" Lisanna said, surprised.

"Sometimes you need to take a chance," Mira stated. Then she turned to Makarov. "I'll hear you out for now, but if you can't help, then we'll move on to somewhere else."

Makarov nodded. "That's all I can ask for," he said sagely. "Natsu, please take these three back to the dorms with you and make sure they're given a room for the night."

"Sure, no problem," answered Natsu breezily.

"Excellent. Meanwhile, I'll visit the guildhall's library to do some research. Get a good night's sleep and I'll see you all in the morning."

"G'night."

Without further ado, Makarov sauntered up the road, leaving the four of them behind. Natsu shuddered- now that the master had gone, the stillness of the night made him feel… uncomfortable. Though that may be partly due to his three companions, who were all looking at him expectantly.

"Well, what are we waiting for," he said with forced energy. "Let's get going."

He started walking in the direction of the dorms, trailed by the three siblings, who followed at a careful distance. At first, they walked in silence, which was something that Natsu was fine with- he was used to solitude, so silence was a familiar friend. However, his companions clearly weren't as comfortable as he was. Lisanna, in particular, squirmed restlessly and eventually spoke up.

"So, mister… do you think the old man can help Mira," she blurted.

"Ugh… 'mister'? I have a name, you know," he responded with exasperation.

"Er, Nat-su, right? What do you think?" she repeated. "Can your master really help our sister? Can he?"

"Sure… if anyone could do it, it would be him," he answered confidently.

Mira scoffed at his words. "I'm not so sure. He didn't seem all that impressive to me."

"Maybe not," said Natsu. "I thought the same thing when I first met him. But he is strong. A lot stronger than he looks, anyway."

Mira still appeared sceptical, but Lisanna at least appeared convinced by his words. Convinced, but also highly curious.

"Really? You must know him quite well then. How long have you been part of the guild?"

Natsu stopped to think for a second before answering. "I joined near the end of July. So almost seven months, I think?"

"Hey, that's quite a long time then,"

"I guess," Natsu said absently. "Kinda hard to believe it's been that long. Seems like yesterday that I came here…"

"'Came here'… what do you mean?" Lisanna asked. "Did you use to live somewhere else too?"

"Yeah… I did," he answered reluctantly. "I used to live in the woods with a dragon named Igneel."

"What?!" shrieked Lisanna. "A dragon? Really?"

The three siblings looked at Natsu incredulously and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Really. He found me in the forest one day and took me in," he answered seriously. "He was like a dad to me… but one day he disappeared. So I came here, where I found the guild. So I guess Magnolia is my new home."

Lisanna appeared genuinely saddened by his story, which he definitely appreciated.

"I'm sorry… that must have been hard on you," she said.

"It's ok," he said. "Even though I never knew my parents… and even though Igneel left, I still have the guild. My guildmates are my new family now."

For some reason, Mira pulled a face.

"Your guildmates are your family?" she said disdainfully. "Pfft, what a joke. Get real, a bunch of strangers can never be a real family."

Natsu, Elfman and Lisanna were all taken aback by this sudden outburst. Natsu, in particular, took her words particularly hard, rocking back slightly as if she'd just sucker punched him.

"Mira!" chastised Lisanna. "That's an awful thing to say."

"I'm just telling the truth," Mira argued. "Better that he face it than live a lie."

Natsu gritted his teeth in anger. "Maybe you're right. But it's all some of us have, so even if you don't like it, Mira-"

"That's not my name," Mira muttered in a low voice.

"Huh?"

"Only my family call me that… and last I checked, that didn't include you." Her eyes flashed angrily. "Let's get things straight: I am not here to be anyone's friend. I'm not going to get chummy with anyone and I am definitely not staying any longer than I have to. Frankly, I want as little to do with you as possible, but unfortunately, I have no choice but to associate with you. So keep your distance. If you have to talk to me, then use my real name."

"My name is Mirajane Strauss. I only look out for myself and my siblings. You would do well to remember that… and stay far away from me."

* * *

**And there we have it. My new record for the longest chapter (this one chapter is 14,000+ words and is about one-third the length of the 9 previous chapters). I burned far too many brain cells writing this, so hopefully, you found it was a good read. I probably won't be writing any chapters as long as this, for a while at least, because they just take too long to write. Hopefully, the next few chapters will come out more regularly.**

**Now, I did something in this chapter that might have made some of you guys a little wary. And by that I mean, I introduced an OC. I know there are mixed opinions about OCs and I understand why- they tend to drastically change the events of a story, or not have the same level of character depth of actual characters from the series. So for this reason, introducing Alaya the matter manipulating wizard might be a bit controversial, but even so, I'd like to give it a shot and see how you guys feel about it. I might just stick with one OC, but I also have a few concepts for other characters who I could also potentially add in if people are interested. Of course, any OCs I bring in will take a back seat to the main cast (I could have a few throwaways that appear during an arc/chapter, or make them a little more significant if people like those characters). I figured that Natsu having a training partner during his early years in the guild would help explain how he developed his magic and improved his skills. I mean, he's gotta train somehow right? Anyway, feel free to let me know what you think via a PM or review.**

**One last final thing before I go. There's something I've been mulling over for a while. Recently I've been contemplating creating some sort of account to allow people to donate money to support me in my fanfic writing if they wish to do so (there's one particular site beginning with the letter 'P' that I wanted to mention, but the fanfic gods apparently don't like that word and remove it whenever I type it). As I happen to enjoy doing this sort of writing and would like to be able to spend more time on it, but as you can imagine, it's not the most viable profession. I would also like maybe even do some creative writing courses to try and improve the quality of my writing. Perhaps it's presumptuous of me to even think that maybe someone would want to support me in this way, but I would at least like to give people the option.**

**Anyway, that's all for now. Now I can go to sleep... and read some fanfics that were suggested to me. Until next time.**


	11. Chapter 10 - Gathering Storm

**Time forever marches onwards. And as another extended period of time passes by, here I am, ready to upload a new chapter.**

**Hi, it's been a while. Hope you guys are doing well. Not sure why I felt the need to include that overly dramatic intro, but given how long it's been since I last uploaded a chapter for this story, maybe I've just gone a little out of my mind while I've been writing this thing.  
**

**So, this chapter has taken so long to write that I figured it would probably be best to upload it in two parts. This first part is a little over 15,000 words and is even longer than the last chapter. As for the second part, I'm currently at just under 5,000 words and it will probably be in the region of 8,000-10,000 words when I'm finished. So I'll either add it on to the end of this chapter when I finish it or upload it as a short new chapter, depending on its length.**

**One last thing before I let you get to reading. After writing this chapter, I've realized that I really could do with a beta-reader for this story. Hell, given how much trouble I had writing it at parts, maybe I'd be better off getting a co-writer so I could have somehow who is a little more proactive in doing the actual writing. If you happen to be a beta-reader and would be interested in helping with this story, feel free to message me and maybe we can arrange something. Or, if any of you happen to know a beta-reader who might be interested, maybe you could send them a message so that they can check my story out?**

**Anyway, I'm not going to drag this intro out any longer with unnecessary stuff, so I'll let you get on with reading and leave any other comments of mine at the end. As always, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this once barren heart of mine  
Colder and emptier without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

"**Tell me, my boy… do you have dreams?"**

A familiar voice, asking a familiar question. He knew that he had heard this question before, but he struggled to recall the occasion.

"Dreams? Of course I do- almost every night," he answered.

"**No, Natsu. Not that kind of dream. What I mean is, is there something that you wish to do, or something you wish to become? Do you have aspirations?"**

"I'm not sure what you mean by as-pi-ray-shuns, but I know what I want to do," He said it as if it was the most oblivious thing in the world. "I want to stay with you of course!"

"**I would hardly call that an aspiration. An aspiration is something that you wish to pursue, something which you long for with every fibre of your being. Right now, you may want nothing more than to be by my side, but in time, I hope that will change. That is a simple goal and you are destined for something… loftier than that."**

"**Listen, Natsu. Life will hand you many opportunities. It will be up to you as to what you want to do with those opportunities. Will you seize them, or let them slip away? It will be your choice and yours alone. You alone can decide your path."**

"But how am I supposed to know which path is the right one? What if I make the wrong choice?"

"**If that is the case, then you need only to listen to your heart- it will tell you what is righ****t. And if you should ever stray from that path, do not fear. You will surely find your way back again. Of this, I am certain- for our hearts are one and the same."**

The voice grew distant and the retreating presence left him feeling abnormally cold.

"Wait! Don't leave me."

"**What do you mean? I am always with you. Now go… go and embrace your destiny, my son."**

The voice slipped even further away. Or rather, the voice was going nowhere. It was _him_ that was slipping away and no matter how hard he tried, there was no holding onto this reality. He drifted further and further away until eventually, the world around him crumbled away.

* * *

-February 13th X778-

As the dark void faded away, the first thing he perceived was a sensation of warmth on his face and a gentle pressure being exerted on his body. It was… soothing… but not enough to calm his racing heart. His eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright, reaching out with one hand, trying desperately to cling on to the vision that had been right in front of him.

But it was all in vain- all remnants of that vision had faded away. The sight of the room before him was all that was left. A large room that had become very familiar to him over the last few months. It was such a contrast to the forest scene that he had witnessed and so far removed from what he had seen, that it took him a second to comprehend what had transpired.

What he had seen was nothing more than an illusion.

A memory relived within a dream.

And it was time to return to reality.

Deflated, he flopped back down onto the soft bed beneath him. He realized now that the warmth that he had felt was merely that of the morning sun. Furthermore, the gentle weight pressing down on him was merely the bed covers. Nothing mystical, or more significant.

Taking a moment to collect himself, he sat upright again, throwing back the covers. He twisted to the side and lowered his feet to the floor, burying his toes in the thick fur rug. Only then did he take a moment to ponder the room that he was in.

Now that the fog of sleep had cleared, he recognized that he was in fact in his dorm room within Fairy Sanctuary, Fairy Tail's male dormitory. It was a rather peculiar building, with a very unconventional layout and consequently, his living quarters were also a little unusual. His living space was shaped like a ring and had been divided into segments, resulting in several separate rooms. First of all, there was the bedroom, which he currently occupied. If he were to step through the room's sole door, he would find himself in a short, curved corridor with three doors, one to his left and two to his right. The door on the left led to the largest room in his living quarters, which combined the functions of a living room, dining room and kitchen all in one. The two doors on the right led to the bathroom and study, respectively.

The room that Natsu was in now- much like his entire suite- was painted using a rather grim combination of charcoal-grey and forest-green. The decoration was rather spartan, yet somehow had a certain flair that gave of an aura of strength, as if to say 'there is nothing I can't endure'. The architect had clearly put a lot of thought into his designs… maybe too much. Was it really worth all that effort just to keep up a macho image? Perhaps the man had been compensating for something.

However, Natsu wasn't interested in any of that. What the architect had been thinking about when he'd built this place was the least of his concerns. Right now, he had other things on his mind- like the trio he'd met last night. He had promised to take the three of them to the guildhall this morning, in order for the master to deliver his findings. And judging by the bright light beaming through his open window, now was a good a time as any to get going.

Now, one might be wondering why Natsu had slept with his window open and with the curtains drawn back. Well, truth be told, sleeping indoors was an uncomfortable experience for him, despite the fact that he had been living in this dorm room for several months. The reason being, that when you've spent years sleeping out in the open, it can be very hard to adjust to living indoors. Having just a glimpse of the night sky and a taste of fresh air was nothing compared to living under a sky of stars, but it was enough to ease the discomfort.

This, however, is just a short tangent. Another stray thought to distract from Natsu's task. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he climbed out of bed, distantly feeling the frigid air's bite on his skin. However, he was largely unaffected by it, even when he stepped off the fur rug onto the stone floor. Ordinarily, he would put this down to his magic, but truthfully, he couldn't say that his magic was entirely responsible for keeping him warm. There were many enchantments at work in Fairy Sanctum, some were fairly obvious, whilst others… not so much. The enchantments were responsible for many things, such as preserving the condition of the building, improving ventilation, removing dust… and temperature control. The design of the building allowed it to maintain a reasonable, albeit slightly cool temperature, in all but the most extreme weather. However, it was not flawless, so in the event of extreme heat or cold, enchantments had been placed throughout the building, causing certain areas to either heat up or cool down to counteract the weather. So despite the cold breeze blowing through Natsu's window, one could not say that the room wasn't warm- the heat radiating through the stone floor was more than enough to heat the air around him.

Anyone other than Natsu might take the time to marvel at this use of magic, but it bore little significance to him- someone who rarely felt cold. So he gave the matter little attention as he walked over to his dresser and browsed through his selection of clothes. He had little interest in fashion, so all of his outfits were more or less identical, except for the colour. He plucked out the first things he saw- a blue doublet, grey shorts and a white sash- and threw them on without a care. Pausing only to slip on his shoes and grab a select few items from his bedside table, he stepped out into the corridor and turned left, walking through the door at the end. As he emerged into the living room, he didn't so much as spare a glance at his surroundings, instead beelining straight for the door on his right. Gripping the handle, he opened the door and stepped through, feeling more than hearing the automatic locking mechanism engage as the door swung shut behind him.

He now found himself in a most unusual room. Shaped like a cylinder, it was approximately twenty-four feet wide. Both the ceiling and floor had a large hole in them, at the direct centre of the room. If you were to approach the edge and look in either direction, you would see that there were identical rooms above and below as well.

For anyone not familiar with the purpose of this room, this space would appear quite bizarre- nonsensical even. But once you knew its secret, it actually became quite sensible.

Natsu stepped towards the centre of the room and as he did so, something within the room began to hum softly. It was quiet… so quiet in fact that he could hardly hear it, but it was there none-the-less. The mechanisms within the room began to activate and around the holes, a series of previously dim runes lit up, creating an impassable barrier. With barely a whisper, a stone platform rose up from below, stopping as soon as it became level with the floor. The runes dimmed, causing the barrier to dissipate, at which point Natsu stepped onto the platform. Focusing his mind, he willed the platform to move- and it obeyed. Moving smoothly and steadily, the platform rose up, stopping as it reached the room above.

Similar to the previous room, this room had a single door. The only difference being that this door had a silver '4' on it, whilst the one in the previous room had been numbered '3'.

The moment the platform came to a halt, Natsu stepped off and strolled up to the door. Rapping his knuckles on the wood, he waited expectantly. Several minutes passed- more than long enough for someone to answer the door- but he didn't hear so much as a peep. So he knocked for a second time, hoping for better results. Again, he waited for some time but received the exact same response for his patience. Rapidly becoming peeved, he hammered at the door with his fist, each blow bearing the force of a riled-up war god. Fortunately, the door was sturdy enough to stand up to his rough treatment.

Barely a minute later, he finally got a response. The door swung open halfway and there stood a bleary-eyed Lisanna, dressed in an oversized pair of borrowed pyjamas. As irritated as Natsu was at the moment, he couldn't help but feel a spark of amusement at the sight of her baggy white pj's, complete with duck prints.

Still half asleep, Lisanna drowsily rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand, leaning casually against the door frame. Looking up at him through half-closed eyes, she perked up just a little as she recognised who he was.

"Oh, hey Natsu," she said, stifling a yawn. "What's up?"

"Not you, by the looks of things," he replied, not bothering to mask his frustration. "Did you three forget we need to go to the guild this morning?"

"No, we didn't forget," she answered. "Why, is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is. The problem is that it's gonna be almost lunchtime by the time we get there because _some people _were sleeping in. Go tell Mirajane and Elfman that they need to get ready, will ya?"

"Mm'k,"

Lisanna closed the door on him and left to go and wake up her siblings. But not before Natsu got one last word in.

"And tell 'em to hurry the hell up!"

* * *

Forty-five minutes.

That's how long Natsu had to wait until the Strauss siblings were finally ready. He had all but given up hope of ever leaving that place and resigned himself to waiting for eternity. Wallowing in self-pity, he sat on the floor, with his back pressed up against the door.

The door opened suddenly and without warning. Caught off-guard and off-balance, Natsu fell backwards, barely managing to avoid cracking his head off the floor. Wincing at the mild pain in his back, he opened his eyes just in time to catch the expressions of the three people stood over him. Elfman and Lisanna had the good graces to look at least mildly concerned. Mirajane, however, made no attempt to hide her amusement at his misfortune.

"About time," said Natsu coolly, choosing to not consider how foolish he must look at that moment. "So… can we go now?"

* * *

They rode the platform back down for several floors and surprisingly, during this time, the three siblings didn't so much as say a word about how Natsu had made a fool of himself earlier. Thank goodness for that. As if Natsu needed another reason to be angry at that moment.

The platform descended rather quickly at first, as due to Natsu's impatience, he was unconsciously willing the platform to move faster than it normally would. However, the platform slowed somewhat as they reached their destination. The room they found themselves in was of a similar shape to the previous rooms, more-or-less. However, this room was much larger than the other rooms and was decorated in a grander fashion. The ceiling was higher, much of the stone features had been carved into elaborate designs and potted plants had been placed along the room's perimeter. A low wall surrounded the area around the platform, essentially separating the room into two sections- an inner circle and an outer ring. There were four gaps in this wall, placed symmetrically along its circumference, suggesting that the purpose of this wall wasn't to divide the room into two, but rather to give the impression of distance. Another thing to note was that the room wasn't quite cylindrical. Immediately in front of them was a straight wall, with a door leading out into the entrance hall. On the opposite side of the room, there was a door to the back of the building and on either side of them, two additional doors led into separate wings. Elfman and Lisanna glanced curiously at these doors, but unfortunately, they would have to wait to see what lay beyond them.

Before the platform even came to a complete stop, Natsu stepped off the edge, dropping the last few inches to the ground. He began to walk towards the exit almost immediately, leaving the three siblings to scramble to catch up to him. He managed to walk halfway across the room when a voice unexpectedly called out to him.

"Master Dragneel. A moment, if you would."

A cold, emotionless voice, devoid of any inflexion. Natsu turned to face the speaker, who emerged from one of the side rooms. He was slender, but well-built, despite his middling age, with chiselled facial features. Dressed as he was in an old-fashioned butler's outfit, he made for a dark and professional figure. Aside from the silver buttons on his dinner jacket and his white shirt, his entire outfit was a deep black. It was severe- but not as severe as the man's personality. He had a commanding air that compelled anyone he met to jump at his slightest suggestion.

Natsu unconsciously stood up straighter as the man approached. This man was Edward Crawford, the man responsible for running Fairy Sanctum. He ruled the dorms with an iron fist and ran the place like it was a military outpost, something which was reflected in his title- Warden. It was as if he believed it was his duty to protect the dorms from some outside force- though it was anyone's guess what he intended to protect it from.

"Your timing is impeccable. Before you step out, I'd like to have a word." The piercing look in his cold blue eyes fixed Natsu to the spot.

"Of course, Warden," Natsu responded with difficulty. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Our three guests, of all things. When you unexpectedly brought them here last night, I was forced to make some hasty adjustments to ensure their living quarters were prepared for the night. However, my preparations were far from adequate. I assume you will likely be visiting the guild today. Would you kindly ask Master Makarov what he intends to do with our guests from this point onwards? I wish to know whether further… _adjustments_ will be necessary."

His already frigid eyes swept over to the trio, taking on a much darker tone. The way he emphasised that one word concerned Natsu- something about it had some much sinister implications.

A single drop of sweat dripped down Natsu's temple. "No problem. I'll ask him when I get the chance."

"I'm glad to hear it," Warden Crawford responded, stone-faced. "That'll be all."

Natsu nodded respectfully and the Warden left, walking back through the door that he'd just emerged from. When the man finally left his line of sight, Natsu relaxed, letting out the breath that he hadn't even noticed he was holding in.

'_Just being near that guy makes my blood run cold,"_ he thought. He took a deep breath and turned once again to leave. The subdued group walked through into the entrance hall, through the large double doors at the end and into the sunlight beyond.

As the left the dorms behind, Natsu glanced around to have yet another look at the place he had been living in for the last seven months.

Built on the outskirts of the East Forest, atop a large mound, Fairy Sanctum occupied a highly defensible position more suited for a castle than a boarding house for wizards. Several flights of stairs led up to the building itself and the foundations had been built to make it impossible to reach the building by any other means, bar siege equipment or flying in. This created a series of tiers with various defensive positions on the approach to the building.

The construction of the building revolved around a massive tower consisting of rough-looking grey stones, with plain rectangular windows at regular intervals. The tower was several stories high and eventually led up to a conical roof with dark blue tiling. Some of these floors were actually used as rooms for boarders- and Natsu was one of the people living in this tower, hence the unusual layout of his living quarters.

In addition to the central tower, there were additional rooms at the rear of the building and two wings that extended out on either side of the entrance, curving around to create a large courtyard. A large fountain occupied the centre of the courtyard, while numerous benches and flower beds were lined against the walls.

To the surprise of everyone present, the courtyard wasn't unoccupied. Makarov sat on one of the benches, somewhat resembling a small child, as his legs weren't quite long enough for his feet to touch the ground. It appeared that he didn't particularly appreciate this, given that he was frowning in displeasure as he stared at his feet. Due to the man's distraction, it took him a few seconds to realize that he was no longer alone.

"Master?" said Natsu.

"Ah, Natsu. Good morning," Makarov replied. Then looking up to the sun, he said, "Or should I say, 'Good afternoon' instead?"

His eyes slid past Natsu to the three children standing behind him. "And our young guests too. Excellent," he exclaimed. "I was starting to think you'd perhaps changed your minds about coming to see me."

The old man paused for a moment. "Then again, maybe I jumped to that conclusion a little too quickly," he concluded, as he climbed to his feet. "You were no doubt exhausted after what happened yesterday, as well as the days before. I imagine a good night's rest was in order. Either way, I thought it might be best to come up and check on you, just in case."

"Sorry t'make things difficult for ya, Master," Natsu apologised.

"Nonsense, my boy," said Makarov dismissively. "An old man like me needs his exercise. Besides-" He put his hand on Natsu's shoulder and very deliberately said: "I had something that I wanted to discuss with you… away from anyone who might overhear us."

Natsu wasn't sure what to make of that. "What d'you-"

"There's no rush, lad. We've got a long walk ahead of us," Makarov interjected, putting extra emphasis on those last words.

It seems that Makarov wasn't quite ready to enlighten him yet if the old man's furtive glances and conspiratorial tone were any indication. So rather than question the old man, Natsu simply nodded.

"Good lad," said Makarov. "In that case, we should get going."

The party of five started off on their journey, descending the many steps leading up to the dorms, before following the seldom-trod path through the East Forest. Makarov walked at the head of the group alongside Natsu, whilst the Strauss siblings followed at the rear. The old man continued to make small talk for a while, prattling on about anything that came to mind, to which Natsu responded as best he could. Eventually, the conversation trailed off into silence. Out of the corner of his eye, Natsu caught Makarov giving him a side-long glance.

"So, Natsu… would you mind if I bend your ear with the ramblings of an old man like myself?" asked Makarov.

"Sure," Natsu replied cautiously.

"After thinking over the events that occurred last night, it occurred to me that there was something I didn't make clear: although you told me you happened to stumble onto the incident last night, I never informed you as to what drew _me_ there. Care to hazard a guess, lad?"

Talk about a loaded question. While Natsu had a pretty good idea what that might be, he chose to feign ignorance instead.

"No idea…" Natsu lied.

"A golden stream of lightning that touched the sky," Makarov replied. "A beam of light so strong that it could be seen for miles. Something like that is powerful magic indeed… and there is only one person I know who is capable of performing that kind of magic. So imagine my surprise when it was not _him _that I saw at the scene of the incident, but yourself and our three guests."

Makarov glanced over his shoulder to the three siblings, before fixing Natsu with a hard stare.

"The magic that young Mirajane is subject to is certainly powerful, but it was not responsible for what happened last night. It is of a… different nature, let's say. I don't believe Elfman or Lisanna are capable of something like that- I don't detect any traces of magic from either of them. And if there was anyone else there, you failed to mention it. That just leaves you."

Not good. The old man may be getting long in the tooth, but he had a sharp mind. Natsu cursed his luck for thinking he could get away with what his deception.

"So boy, I'm going to stop beating around the bush and say this as bluntly as I can- why is it that you felt the need to hide the fact that you can use lightning magic from the rest of the guild?"

And there was the dreaded question. Though he wasn't quite sure of his own reasoning for it, Natsu had kept his magic a secret everyone else in Fairy Tail- the only exception being Alaya, who he trained with on a regular basis. He had used lightning magic once during his fight with Macao, but he had been subtle about it and thankfully, no-one had noticed. Ever since then, he had done his best to avoid anyone witnessing his magic. But now his secret was out- not only was Makarov aware of his secret but so were the Strauss siblings, much to his chagrin.

"...It's not like I was hiding it or nothin'," Natsu answered petulantly. "Just didn't feel like I needed to tell anyone."

"And why is that exactly? Is it a matter of trust?" asked Makarov, crestfallen. "I've always prided myself to think that the guild that I've helped to nurture over the years is such a closely-knit group of people. To see the bonds of friendship between our members flourish as the days go by is something that I have come to cherish above all else. But nothing is perfect and the guild is no exception- if there are faults to be found within our ranks, I can't be blind to them. Tell me Natsu… have we done something wrong? Something to make you feel like you don't belong?"

"No, it's nothin' like that, promise," Natsu declared adamantly. "Just didn't feel like I needed to tell anyone. I'll tell people eventually. Just not yet."

"Truly?"

"Yeah,"

"Then I will just have to hope it to be true."

Though the old man was not completely reassured by Natsu's words, he dropped his line of questioning. The two walked in silence for a while, before eventually falling back on smalltalk. However, unbeknownst to either of them, Mirajane had been listening intently to their entire conversation… and to say her interest had been peaked would be a gross understatement.

* * *

The party of five eventually arrived at the guildhall and Master Makarov led them over to the bar to begin their meeting. Makarov clambered onto the bar and sat cross-legged, gesturing for them to take a seat on the bar stools. Mirajane sat on the seat directly in front of him, whilst her siblings sat on either side of her. Natsu, on the other hand, hesitated. The conversation that Makarov and Mirajane were about to have didn't really concern him, as he wasn't directly affected by Mirajane's condition. However, after a second of deliberation, he took a seat, sitting slightly apart from the siblings, but still close enough to listen in on the conversation. Mirajane turned her head towards him, clearly disgruntled by his presence, yet she didn't voice any objections. Instead, she simply looked into his eyes with an expression that implied that she felt she was doing him a favour by letting him stay, before turning back to Makarov.

"Now then," said Makarov, as he settled into a more comfortable position, before addressing Mirajane. "Last night I did a fair bit of research and I have come up with a number of hypotheses regarding the possible cause of your transformation. Of all these possible causes, there is only one that sticks out to me as being _probable_. Before I tell you about it, however, I would like to have another look at your arm to confirm my suspicions, if I may."

Mirajane paled, mortified that he would even ask this of her, especially when there were so many people in the crowded guildhall with them. She glanced around her self-consciously, but Makarov was quick to reassure her.

"Don't you worry child," he soothed. "Nobody's paying any mind to us. And even if they were, you would have nothing to worry about. Unlike the ignorant and narrow-minded individuals you've encountered before, everyone here is a wizard. They're well acquainted with the uglier side of magic and I can assure you… they've seen far worse."

Mirajane, unfortunately, didn't seem reassured in the slightest. But regardless, she drew back her cloak- the same one she had worn the night before- and showed the old man her arm.

The old man leant forward and stared at her arm intently for some time. Natsu studied Makarov's face, looking for some hint as to what the man was thinking, but was unable to discern anything from his impassive expression. There was one thing that he did find interesting, however- though Makarov appeared to be staring at Mirajane's arm, his eyes were unfocused as if he was looking at something else entirely. Something beyond what was in front of him.

Before Natsu was able to think about the matter, Makarov leant back again, grunting in satisfaction.

"I see… it's exactly as I thought," the old man mused. Natsu noticed the subtle change that took over Mirajane's body at that point. The slight tightening of her lips, the way that she leant forward slightly in her eagerness, how her eyes were plastered to Makarov face as she waited for his next words. His mouth curled up into a little smirk as he relished in her nervousness. She was trying to hard to pretend to be disinterested, that he couldn't help but be amused by it. He half hoped that Makarov would drag things out a little longer, that Mirajane would be left waiting… but then the old man spoke again.

"I have good news and bad news… which would you like to hear first?" he asked.

"The bad. At least then I can hope that the good news will make up for it," Mirajane answered.

"Well… the bad news is that I cannot undo your transformation," he started. Her face dropped at the news, but then his next words shocked her even more. "The good news is, you yourself can undo this magic."

The old man lifted one hand, facing palm up. Then, in a flash of light, a slim book appeared and he plucked it from the air as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Elfman and Lisanna were both in awe of what they had just witnessed- for some who had never seen magic before, seeing something materialise out of thin air was truly a wondrous thing. Mirajane was unaffected by the sight of the magic before her, though that was largely down to her current mental state. Natsu was similarly unaffected, but for an entirely different reason.

"Hey, isn't that the same magic that Erza uses?" Natsu asked, drawing both Elfman and Lisanna's gazes. Apparently, they were both entranced by the idea that someone else in the guild used the same magic.

"It is indeed, my boy," Makarov answered. "Re-quip magic is a truly useful skill, so while I haven't explored its concepts to the extent that Erza has, I've still managed to pick a few things up over the years. But we're getting off-topic here."

Makarov handed the book to Mirajane, who glanced at its cover, reading the title aloud.

"Shapeshyfting: the arte of transformation," she read, giving Makarov a deeply confused look.

The old man nodded. "You see, child, the magic you are subject to is not a curse… it's a type of transformation magic called 'Take-Over'. It allows the user to possess the power or body of a specific entity, in order to fight with it. As I understand it, you must have used unconsciously used this magic when you fought the demon within the church. You needed a way to fight back and in your desperation, you took the demon's own powers and turned them against it. If you wish to return to normal, you must delve deeper into the world of magic. Once you do so, you will be able to transform at will."

"Transform at will?" Mirajane cried. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Who knows," Makarov responded. "Magic is as limitless as one's imagination and can be turned to practically any purpose. If you learn to use magic, you will be free to use it to your heart's desire."

"Use it to my heart's desire? I want nothing to do with it," Mira said sullenly. She looked down at the book in her hands with a complicated expression. Rather than looking like someone who had just been handed a way out of a tricky situation, she looked like she'd just been handed a death sentence. For some reason, something about that didn't sit right with Natsu. She had just been given the opportunity to not only undo her transformation but to learn magic too… yet she was far from excited at the prospect. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her but decided against it. It wasn't up to him to decide her path- all he could do is wait and see what happens next.

* * *

-February 18th X778-

Five full days had passed since their meeting with Makarov and Mirajane had yet to make a decision regarding learning magic. While Elfman and Lisanna had been happy to interact with the rest of the guild, she sat alone at the far end of the bar, brooding. Hunched over as she was, she made for a rather pitiful sight.

Despite her indecision, Makarov had been unwilling to leave her and her two siblings swinging in the wind and had made arrangements for them to continue staying in Fairy Sanctum, for the time being. It wasn't the most convenient plan- Fairy Sanctum was a dorm specifically designed to house _male _wizards, which Mirajane and Lisanna were definitely not. But given the circumstances, it was preferable to separating the trio during a turbulent time in their lives.

For now, things would remain as they were- which was perfectly fine for Natsu, who had other things on his mind. Specifically, his breakfast. The young dragonslayer's palate had become much more refined since joining the guild and with such amazing food on offer, meal times had quickly become the highlight of his day. So, as he sat at a table near the bar, enjoying his meal, he let the noise of the guildhall wash over him, content to be in his own little world. Until a nearby conversation caught his attention.

"So, Macao…" Wakaba said. "How's the wife?"

'How's the wife?'- a question that Wakaba uttered quite frequently. Natsu learned very early on that Macao was married… and that he and his wife often got into spats. Thinking that this conversation was nothing new, Natsu tried to tune out, almost missing the reply.

"She's doing great!" Macao answered with unusual enthusiasm. "But saying that, she's gonna have a lot more on her plate than she's used to."

Wakaba gave a hearty chuckle at his words. "Yeah, I guess she does. But that's all part of having a kid."

"I know right? I didn't know what to expect if I'm honest," Macao replied. A strange look came over his face- an odd mix of wonder and pride. "It's still hard to believe… that I'm a father now."

'_What?!' _Natsu thought, flabbergasted. _'Why didn't I know about this?'_

"I know I've already said this before, but congrats," Wakaba said. "Have you decided what you're calling the lad?"

"Yeah… it was hard, but we've settled on 'Romeo'."

"Romeo, huh?" Wakaba said, pulling a face. "That's an unusual name. Makes it sound like you're expecting him to turn into a playboy when he grows up. Like father, like son, eh?"

"Watch what you say about me, will ya?" Macao yelled indignantly. "I'm a man of good character and my _son_ will turn out just the same."

"_Suuure he will_," replied Wakaba sceptically, before sighing. "Hell, where did the time go Macao? It feels like yesterday that we were just young men and now you're starting your own little family."

Family_._

In the truest sense of the word, it revolved around the concept of blood relations between individuals. And with it comes a bond that transcends any other.

Though Natsu told himself that he was content with his new adopted family, in truth, his heart ached when he considered that he would never know the feeling of being loved by his own parents.

He couldn't help but be envious of young Romeo at that moment.

His stomach twisted and abruptly, he lost all sense of appetite. His companions continued their conversation, oblivious to his inner turmoil. Perhaps if they had glanced his way, they would have noticed his slumped posture and the way his body was rocked by subtle tremors. Perhaps then they would have connected the dots and changed the topic of conversation. But, through no fault of their own, they failed to do so and unable to block out their words, he suffered.

Natsu pushed his plate away, before slipping through the doorway next to the bar and into the corridor beyond, fleeing their hurtful words. Not sparing so much as a glance at the door to the guild master's office on his left, or the stairs down to the basement on his right, he walked straight to the door ahead of him. As he passed through the doorway, he emerged into the middle of a heavy rain shower. He traipsed through the small courtyard and out onto the lake-front promenade, strolling along the lake's edge. After a while, he perched on a ledge, dangling his feet over the edge, He took in big gulps of the frigid air, but it did nothing to ease the growing pain in his chest. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, but the pain of his nails digging into his palms did nothing to suppress the tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. It was all he could do to prevent the emotions from overwhelming him.

What a pathetic sight he must have made.

"You know, you're gonna catch a cold if you sit out here."

Caught by surprise, Natsu turned around to face the speaker. When his eyes settled on the person who had walked up behind him, he realized with surprise, that it was Lisanna. Perhaps due to the ever-present sound of the rain or his own distraction, she had managed to sneak up on him and catch him unaware. There's no way she couldn't have noticed his watery eyes, but she kindly said nothing and instead gave him a small smile. With a small red umbrella in one hand and dressed in the same outfit that she had worn yesterday, to him, she appeared to be the only spot of colour in this otherwise dreary world.

It occurred to Natsu that there was something poetic about that, but as he wasn't one to wax words, he wasn't able to put the feeling into words. He resisted the urge to wipe his eyes with the back of his hand, knowing that the action would reveal his current emotional state.

"I don't catch colds," he replied. "'Least not easily. Part of my magic, I guess."

"Still, being rained on isn't very nice," Lisanna argued. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

Natsu thought for a moment on how to respond. "Thinking."

Screw tact. He wasn't in the mood to dance around the topic or deflect the girl's questions. Fortunately, Lisanna seemed to get the hint, as she didn't ask _what _he was thinking about.

"I see," she said quietly. "I guess rain does make a good mood for thinking…"

"Yeah," Natsu said curtly, turning away from her again. "Now if you've got nothin' else to say-"

"I do, actually," Lisanna interrupted. Natsu very nearly snapped at her to hurry up but managed to bite back the unfair words. But what she said next took him by surprise.

"I wanted to say thank you,"

"...Huh?" He blinked at her a few times as he processed her words. "What for?"

"Well…" Lisanna said awkwardly. "You saved us before, when all those people were mad at us. And then you brought us to the guild too and gave us somewhere to stay."

"_Master Makarov _gave you somewhere to stay," Natsu corrected.

"Only because of you," Lisanna countered. "Really, if you hadn't been there, none of this would be possible. Thanks to you, my family is safe… I don't have to worry about them any more."

Her smile at the moment was dazzling. The contrast between her sunny disposition and the storm around them was enough to lift his spirits a little.

'_There's that word again,' _he thought.

"Huh, guess family isn't all it's cracked up to be," Natsu mused. "You really worry about them that much?"

Lisanna shrugged. "I did, when we had to leave our home. Every day was hard and we struggled just to find food. I was afraid of losing them, just like- just like everything else. Now, we don't have to worry about any of that any more, because we've found people who'll look out for us. All that's left is-"

She pursed her lips, biting back her words. Clearly, her tongue had run away with her and she'd said something she hadn't meant to.

"Yeah?" Natsu questioned.

She gave a slightly rueful smile. "Well… Mira."

"Ah," he said, knowingly. "Yeah, the thing with her arm.

Lisanna shook her head fiercely. "Not just that. Sis has been behaving strangely for a while now. I thought she'd get better now that there's no danger, but she hasn't. She might even be worse than before. She barely eats, she has nightmares and wakes up in the middle of the night… she barely even talk to me or Elfman any more, even when it's just the three of us."

That was… concerning. Extremely so. From the sounds of it, Mirajane was acting out of character to the point where she was distancing herself from her own siblings. If the worst of it was over, why was she getting worse?

"Yeah, that does sound like a problem," Natsu said quietly, before climbing to his feet with a sigh. "Look, I'll do my best to help Mirajane… in whatever way I can. Not sure I'll be able to do much though… don't really know a lot about family stuff, to be honest."

Lisanna nodded in gratitude before a thought seemed to come to her. "That's not true though," she said. "Didn't you say you were raised by a dragon? That means he's your family!"

The corner of Natsu's quirked up slightly. "Yeah… I guess it does."

"So cool!" Lisanna cried enthusiastically. "Come on, tell me more. Ooh, but let's get inside first."

"Heh, alright,"

The two began to walk side-by-side back up to the guild, as Lisanna asked Natsu question after question regarding his life before the guild. She appeared to have a particular interest in Igneel himself, which Natsu didn't find surprising in the least. From what he could tell, reports of dragon sightings were extremely rare and even a cursory investigation on Natsu's part was enough to prove those few cases to be completely bogus. In fact, this very lack of reports had led many to believe that dragons were now extinct. On the few occasions that Natsu had brought up the topic of dragons to anyone outside the guild, he had received funny looks from those he spoke to. Despite his assurances that dragons did still indeed exist, everyone simply laughed it off, thinking it to be nothing more than a child's make-believe fantasy. It was something that irritated him to no end.

As he reflected on this, Lisanna fell silent, having seemingly run out of questions to ask. However, it soon became apparent that there was another reason for her silence.

"You know, you _can_ stand a little closer," she said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I mean, I'm carrying an umbrella, but you're standing in the rain," she said, giving her umbrella a demonstrative spin. "You may as well make use of it."

"Er, ok?" Natsu replied uncertainly, stepping under the canopy.

"Closer, silly!" she reprimanded. "Your shoulder's still sticking out."

"But-"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, as Lisanna grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him closer, wrapping her arm around his as if to prevent him escaping.

"That's better," Lisanna exclaimed, as Natsu tried and failed to voice a complaint. She gave him another one of those dazzling smiles and he went limp, unable to put up any resistance in the face of such a happy face.

And so, they walked back to the guild arm in arm. To Natsu's surprise, he realized that his previous bad mood had completely dissipated, thanks to the strange and pushy girl standing beside him. Though he had at first felt discomforted by the way Lisanna's arm was wrapped around his, he began to warm to the simple action. And when she finally released him to step inside the guild, he felt a sense of loss. But despite that, he smiled. He stepped back inside, with a completely different frame of mind from what he'd been in when he last left. Except for one tiny little thing- a growing worry in the back of his mind, slowly worming his way into his thoughts. Lisanna's earlier words drifted to the forefront once more.

"_Sis has been behaving strangely for a while now"_

But those were just the words of a child reading too much into the situation. Everything was going to be just fine… right?

* * *

-February 28th X778-

'_Think thin, think thin, think thin…'_

Natsu repeated this phrase in his mind over and over again as he danced around, weaving his way through the crowd of townspeople as they went about their business. It was a market day, which alone was enough to draw the citizens of Magnolia to the streets. However, the good weather that the town was experiencing was another incentive. As such, the usual midday rush had become even more chaotic than normal, which made travelling to the Fairy Tail guild hall somewhat challenging.

Fleeing the seemingly endless flood of people, Natsu finally arrived at the guildhall, where he promptly stepped inside. He heaved a sigh of relief, feeling himself relax now that he was back in familiar surroundings. Feeling the ever-present rumblings that signalled hunger in his stomach, he started walking over to the bar, eager to sate his appetite.

As he crossed the room, the sound of raised voices came to his attention. Most people wouldn't be able to pick up the sound over the background noise, but sensing such things was a piece of cake for Natsu. Taking a closer look at the source of the commotion, Natsu noticed an unfamiliar man standing at the bar, wearing a plain blue outfit and carrying a brown satchel over his shoulder. A patch of some kind had been stitched onto his right shoulder, with a symbol that Natsu didn't recognise. Perhaps the man was from another guild? It was certainly possible given the way that the man was arguing with one of the bar staff. If the man was from a rival guild, it would make sense for any conversation between the two men to be a little tense.

As he drew a little nearer, he began to pick up their conversation.

"For the last time, it's nothing to do with me," the bartender was saying. "You call yourself a courier? Deliver the damn thing yourself!"

So the strange man was a 'courier'? The word was unfamiliar to Natsu, but from the bartender's words, he gathered that a courier was someone responsible for delivering items of some kind.

"Have you not been listening?" the courier spat. "Your master is busy in his office, so I _can't _deliver it. I have other drops to make, I can't be waiting around all day."

"Too bad. Guess you're gonna have to wait then."

"You know what? Screw you," the courier cursed, before tossing a letter onto the bar. "It's your problem now, I'm out."

Without another word, the courier turned and left, impatiently slipping past the guild members milling around the room. Meanwhile, the bartender glared after him with a look of disdain plastered over his face, before lowering his gaze towards the letter sat in front of him.

After a few seconds, he looked up to see Natsu standing a few metres away. The two of them locked eyes for a moment. Then the bartender broke the eye contact, looking down towards the letter, then back at Natsu. When Natsu offered up no response, he repeated the action, in a slightly more exaggerated fashion.

"...Why do I feel like you're about to ask me something?" Natsu asked suspiciously.

"...I hear you're supposed to have pretty good hearing," the bartender responded. "No doubt you heard who this letter was for. And that I'm not able to leave the bar while I'm on shift."

"So?"

"So…" the bartender said, throwing a glance towards the corridor where the guild master's office was located.

Natsu scowled. "Yeah yeah, I get the hint."

Snatching the letter off the bar, he set off for Master Makarov's office. As he reached the door, he raised his hand to knock, but upon hearing voices inside, he hesitated.

"You sure know how to flap your gums, old man."

It was not a voice that Natsu had previously heard during his time at the guild, but it _was_ familiar. He was unable to place the voice, but despite that, hearing it was enough to make his blood boil. There were few things that could evoke such a reaction from Natsu, so he found his own inexplicable rage to be strange, to say the least. But, now was not the time to consider such things.

Natsu maybe not be particularly adept when it came to picking up social cues, but even he could tell from the tone of that voice that this wasn't a conversation that he should be listening to. But despite that, he found himself fixed in place, listening intently to every word.

"Your words are harsh, my boy, but it will take much more than that to hurt me. I've got thick skin."

A gravelly voice, suited for a man who had lived for many years. However, there was a certain gravitas to his speech that belied the age that was evident in his voice. The voice of someone that Natsu had become rather familiar with: Master Makarov.

"And don't presume that I don't know what you're trying to do- I've known you from the moment you were born, learned every one of your mannerisms," Makarov continued, sternly. "I know when you're trying to deflect the topic. Now, I want a clear answer… where have you been?"

"Well, if you really must know, I just went for a little R and R," the man drawled. "Last I heard, there was nothing wrong with that. Unless the guild has become some totalitarian dictatorship in the time I was gone. Has all that power finally gone to your head?"

"Power has nothing to do with your extended absence from the guild. More importantly, since when does 'R and R' involve disappearing for over half a year, without even saying a word beforehand?" Makarov roared. "You left for a job and never came back. Do you not realize how your actions affected your comrades, who knew not if you were even dead or alive?"

"If the guild is so delicate that my absence affects is so severely, then it has even more problems than I'd thought. I completed the job just fine, the client was happy- end of story. I have every right to take a break from the guild any time I want, so that's exactly what I did. Now, if there's nothing else you want to say, _Master_… I'll be on my way."

Before Natsu had time to react, the door in front of him opened and someone stepped through, ploughing into him and sending him flying.

"Watch it, punk," the man growled, before turning towards the main room.

Unable to regain his balance, Natsu toppled to the floor. But even as he fell, he caught a glimpse of the man's retreating form. More specifically, his hair.

'_Golden-blonde hair…' _he thought absentmindedly. _'And that voice…'_

'_It's __**him**__.'_

Natsu lay sprawled out on the floor for a few seconds, stunned by the sudden realization that he knew this person. But the instant he recovered, he shot to his feet and turned to shoot the young man an icy look.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Watch where you're going!"

Goldie turned around to face him… and his expression made chills run up Natsu's spine. His skin practically tingled under that gaze. The young man's eyes seemed to bore right through him and his face was hard as stone.

Natsu realized too late that antagonizing Goldie had been a mistake. A perilous one at that. Knowing that he had inadvertently put himself in a dangerous situation, he prepared for the worst. The murderous energy radiating from Goldie intensified, as did the aura of magic that he was emitting. Natsu tensed his muscles, ready to react to the slightest aggressive act. However, it ultimately proved to be unnecessary. As the light of recognition dawned in Goldie's eyes, he relaxed slightly, his face softening.

"Oh, it's you. I was wondering who had the guts to speak to me that way". He tilted his head to one side, eyeing Natsu with mild curiosity. "So you made it here after all. Congratulations, I guess."

Natsu gave a small sigh of relief. "Yeah, I managed to get here, somehow. You know, I never thought I'd see you again here. But for some reason, you don't seem very surprised to see me."

"I _did _suggest you visit Magnolia, remember? And I knew you were a wizard too… I knew there was a chance you'd end up here. Fairy Tail is the only wizard guild in town- where else would you go?"

"Yeah, I guess. You told me you were on a job before right? So I had two hints that you worked here and just didn't realize it… kinda stupid of me." He thought a moment. "By the way, did you manage to finish that job? You know, the one with all the phantom things?"

"Yeah, just about. One of the more tricky jobs I've done… but the client ended up paying extra for the trouble, so it was worth it, I guess."

"Is that the same job that the master was just talking about?"

Goldie's face darkened and Natsu instinctively flinched in the face of his anger. "It's not polite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, kid. You might hear something that you shouldn't."

"You mean like how you and the Master don't get along? What's with that anyway?"

"None of your business!"

Natsu flinched at the sudden outburst, but just as he thought Goldie was going to electrocute him for real, the young man reigned in his anger with a visible effort and a heavy sigh.

"Look, the old man and I have some problems, sure. But that's between me and him, understand? It's not for anyone else to be sticking their nose into," he said tiredly. "You'll probably end up hearing some rumours about it at some point, so I may as well just tell you. I could do with getting my mind off the old man anyway."

Natsu nodded. "Alright then."

* * *

The two young men end up grabbing a table back in the main room of the guildhall. Beckoning for a waiter to come over, Goldie puts in an order for a flagon of ale.

"What do ya want, half-pint?" he asks Natsu. "Juice, maybe some warm milk?"

Ignoring the barbed comment, Natsu turned to the waiter and ordered a pumpkin spice latte. Having confirmed their order, the waiter disappears, returning some time later with their drinks. Not wanting to rush the young man, Natsu waited for Goldie to start talking. However, it wasn't until Goldie was halfway through his second drink that he actually spoke up.

"Right… guess I've put it off long enough," Goldie said reluctantly. "So here goes. First things first, how much do you know about the old man?"

"You mean Master Makarov? Not much, except that he's really old and knows a lot about magic."

Goldie snickered. "Well, you're right about that much at least. But I guess that means you didn't know he has a family?" Seeing the wide-eyed expression on Natsu's face, he chuckled wryly. "I'll take that as a no. He may not talk about it, but that doesn't change the fact that he has a son. But here's the real kicker- his son used to be part of Fairy Tail, until he kicked him out."

"Really?!"

"Yeah… do you wanna hear something even more interesting though?" He leaned in conspiratorially and spoke in a loud whisper. "Makarov's son, who he kicked out even though the man was his own flesh and blood- was my father."

Goldie leant backwards again, frowning in displeasure. For a few seconds, he didn't say anything further. This in itself was a blessing because it gave Natsu enough time to process this revelation.

"So that means you're-"

"Laxus Dreyar, Makarov's grandson,"

"Wow… that's cool. But there's one thing I don't get- why would Master kick out his own son?" Natsu asked.

Laxus sneered. "Gramps cited bad behaviour, but he wouldn't say any more than that. I don't know exactly what my old man did, but whatever it was, he didn't deserve to be exiled."

"I'm sure Master had his reasons-"

"Oh, I'm sure he did. Doesn't mean they were good reasons though. I used to follow his every word, adamant that he always knew what was right… but not any more. He did one thing I can't stand- he turned his back on his own family, threw out my dad when he could have just given him a slap on the wrist and a warning. What sorta person does something like that to his own son?"

Natsu wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but he nodded anyway, hoping it would be enough to appease the young man. "I guess things get difficult when family's involved."

His eyes couldn't help but drift over to Mira as he said these words- and this action didn't go unnoticed by Laxus. He followed Natsu's line of sight finally noticing the young girl by the bar. His eyebrows scrunched up in an expression of consideration.

"Yeah, it can," he said, taking a swig from his drink. "By the way, what's with the girl? And why does she look so miserable?"

"That's Mirajane," Natsu answered. "The master said she used Take-Over magic on a demon and it turned her arm all freaky. But she wasn't able to change it back. If she learns more about her magic, she can fix it, but for some reason, she doesn't want to learn."

"That sounds… rough," said Laxus. "Gotta be hard to live with."

Natsu stared at him, wide-eyed. _'Was that sympathy?' _Natsu never would have expected such a thing from Laxus of all people, given his previous attitude.

"Wait, waddayah mean by that?" Natsu asked.

"Boy, take a good look around you. What d'you see?"

"People?"

"Well, yeah. But that's not what I mean. What is this entire guild made up of?"

"Wizards?"

"Exactly, we're all wizards. And you know something about wizards? We're a minority- we may be surrounded by magic in Fiore, but only one in every ten people in the kingdom are wizards. Now, that's not exact, because there _are _people out there who use magic that aren't counted as wizards because they're not in a guild, but you get the picture. People need magic and more importantly, they need people who can use magic. Because of that, we're accepted pretty much everywhere we go. But that doesn't change the fact that we're different from everyone else- our power sets us apart from everyone else because deep down, people are afraid of what that power can do. There will always be a distance there that we can never fully cross. That's one of the reasons we have guilds- in this room, being a wizard is the norm and we all fit in somehow. But her?"

Laxus nodded in Mirajane's direction. "Her magic sets her apart even more. If she can't come to terms with that and find a way to bridge that gap- she'll spend the rest of her life all alone. And personally, I don't feel that would be a life worth living."

Again, Natsu was taken aback by Laxus's insightful remark. Who was this guy, a philosopher? He desperately wanted to refute the young man's theory, but… he had to admit, what Laxus said made sense. Too much sense. The sense of uneasiness that Natsu was feeling only grew.

Laxus' face twisted as another thought crossed his mind. "Wait, you were standing outside the old man's office earlier. Did you have business with him or something?"

And like that, Natsu was reminding exactly what he was supposed to be doing.

"Ah!" he cried. He leapt to his feet and shoved his hand in his pocket, feeling the slightly crumpled letter that he had thoughtlessly stuffed in there. "Yeah, I've gotta go deliver this letter!"

He started running towards Makarov's office but stopped after a mere two steps. He looked back to his mostly-empty drink on the table and searched through his pockets hastily, eventually pulling out his wallet.

"Don't worry about it kid, this one's on me," Laxus said, waving one hand dismissively.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Now get going before you forget what you're doing again."

Natsu nodded in thanks, before jetting off once again. Laxus watched him leave with an expression that wasn't quite indifference, but eventually, he turned his eyes back to Mira and his expression clouded over once more. A storm was coming- he could feel it in his bones. And he had a feeling that the girl would be at the centre of it.

"You'd better remember my words kid. Because soon, a whole lot of trouble is comin' your way."

* * *

-March 7th X778-

"Argh! Will yah get out of my face? I can't stand to look at'ya!"

"Funny, 'cause the feeling's mutual, flame brain."

Few people who happen to visit the Fairy Tail guildhall would ever describe it as 'peaceful'. It was a place where chaos reigned and the raised voices of many raucous wizards was enough to destroy the focus of even the most disciplined minds. There was only one time where the guild was graced by tranquillity- and that happened to be at the dead of night, when all of its members had gone home for the day. However, I think anyone who entered at this moment in time would agree that the discord was many times worse than normal. And that just so happened to be down to a certain pair of young wizards, who's clashing personalities often put them in contention with each other.

This particular incident started simply: one wizard asked Gray a simple question. 'What's the best way to take out a group of bandits?'. Gray, being the cool and collected individual that he was, responded with an answer that was rather fitting with his personality. Natsu, who just so happened to overhear both the question and the answer, asserted that it would be much better to follow _this other _method instead, to which Gray exclaimed that such an approach was 'stupid, just like your face'. This, of course, escalated into a full-on argument and quickly devolved into a name-throwing contest, as most of their conversations tend to do.

This is the point where Erza would typically step in and as usual, that's exactly what she did.

"Boys!" she yelled, with a commanding tone. "For the love of God, this is the third time this week you've been at each other's throats. Just take it outside already!"

To clarify, under any normal circumstances, Erza would force the two boys into backing down, either through intimidation, or brute force. However, it appeared that she was tired of playing the role of peacekeeper at the moment and had evidently decided that it would be better to just let them brawl, out of everyone's way. In response to her words, both of the boys looked at her in shock.

"Take it outside…" Natsu repeated distantly. Then he grinned at her as if she'd just said something brilliant. "That sounds great."

"Yeah," Gray added, grinning just as maniacally.

Without any further encouragement, the two boys dashed to the exit, elbowing and pushing aside the other in order to be the first through the doorway. Several guild members followed in their wake, eager to see the fight that was about to take place. After a moment of deliberation and a heavy sigh, Erza followed suit. As she followed the group, she heard a disturbing sound somewhere near her right shoulder. Glancing to her side, she saw Master Makarov, rubbing his hands in anticipation and laughing menacingly.

"Master… are you alright?" she asked.

Makarov's laughter died as he turned to answer her. "I'm quite alright, child. Why do you ask?"

"I was just worried that you might be losing your marbles."

"Oh? And what gives you that impression?"

"Erm… it's just that you're giggling at the prospect of watching two of your guild members fighting."

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud, everyone loves a good fight."

"_They're children,_ sir."

"Even better! Having rivals and fighting helps build character."

Erza could only shake her head in disbelief. "I guess so. But what if they go too far?"

"They won't. I will step in before it gets to that point."

Those words were enough to reassure Erza somewhat. Then she remembered that this man was the one allowing Natsu and Gray to go ahead with their fight in the first place. _'What exactly is his idea of going too far?'_ she thought with concern. Then the master's words next words snapped her out of her state of contemplation.

"_Nooo!" _Makarov cried with anguish. "It started without us."

* * *

The fight began in an instant. One moment the two combatants were facing off in a state of relative calm and the next, they were at each other's throats. There was no time wasted on testing the waters, nor analysing their opponent. They both rushed in, lashing out with a flurry of punches and kicks, brutally exploiting any chance to strike against their foe. It was inelegant and far from chivalrous, but one couldn't deny that it was a brutally effective way to fight. A mere minute had passed since the start of the fight, but already Natsu's entire body felt raw, as if his skin had been peeled off. Every blow he took resulted in pain- deflecting or blocking a blow only lessened the effect and if he failed to dodge an attack, the glancing blow he received would still be enough to graze or bruise him. Gray threw a left-handed punch at his chest and Natsu dodged to his left, swatting the punch away with the same hand. Instantly, he realised he'd made a mistake. Gray stepped in and delivered a right hook straight into his unprotected ribs. He made sure it hurt. _Oh god, it hurt._ So much so that Natsu almost missed his opportunity to retaliate.

Suddenly, he remembered that he actually had hands and arms that he could fight with. He pivoted on his left foot, turning anti-clockwise and as he did, he brought his still raised left hand around, backhanding Gray across the side of his face. The slight spin increased the effective force behind the blow and Natsu grinned as Gray staggered backwards, clutching his face. As a sharp pain shot up the back of Natsu's hand and up his wrist, he made a mental note to not try something like that again.

'_Focus,' _he thought. _'Don't forget how to fight.'_

He had all but lost himself in the thrill of the fight and forgotten to make use of the skills that he had fostered within himself. After all his years of training, he had honed his skills to the point where fighting came to his as naturally as breathing. And there was one thing that had been drilled into him time and time again: the idea that winning a fight is not reliant on being able to hit harder than your opponent. Speed and strength were not the only factors to consider, because technique can have just as much an effect. This concept was why people invented martial arts, a form of combat that had been tried and tested many times and shown that it can trump even the strongest opponents.

So as he reflected on this fact, he shifted his posture, adopting a stance that appeared to be quite relaxed. But if you looked closer, you could see a tension there, reminiscent of a coiled spring, full of potential energy and ready to explode into action at any moment. Gray took one look at this and instantly understood the implications, adopting a stance of his own. The two of them had just been playing around before. Now, they were fighting for something more than that. They were fighting to win.

The two boys dashed forward simultaneously, both throwing out blows with renewed vigour. No longer attempting to block their opponent's attacks, they lashed out with everything they had, both determined to take the other down at any cost. Each attack carried the weight of their resolution, the overwhelming desire to succeed. Natsu roared a challenge, his speech punctuated only by the sound of his fists striking Gray's body.

"I'm not… gonna… lose!"

"You're gonna have to… 'cause I… wanna win!"

"_You're going down!" _they yelled in unison.

Putting all their strength into one last blow, their fists rocketed out, smashing into their opponent's jaw, sending them both tumbling backwards. Rather abruptly, Natsu found himself staring up at the clear blue sky above. In a daze, it took him a second to realize he was lying on his back in the dirt.

'_So much for winning,'_ he thought.

Somewhere close by, he heard Gray muttering angrily.

"Stupid sky! Why you gotta be so blue?"

"What?" Natsu mumbled.

"Shut up, Fashion Queen. Just talking to myself."

Somewhere off to one side, Makarov spoke.

"It seems that this fight has ended in… a draw," he declared.

An eruption of discontented muttering and jubilant cries rose up in response to his words. Most of the people assembled turned to their neighbours to hand over their money.

Because yes, not only does the majority of Fairy Tail enjoy watching kids fight, they enjoy gambling over it just as much.

A rather small proportion of the group ended up extremely happy with the result of the fight, as they ended up with a generous sum of money at the end. However, everyone else ranged from slightly put out, to downright distraught. And one particular person was even more upset than anyone else. With tears in his eyes, Makarov mourned the loss of his money.

"So, er… Master? I guess you lost pretty big, huh?" Macao asked. "What did you bet on, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I bet that Erza would change her mind about letting them fight and jump in to stop them both…"

"Huh… I mean, that's not an unreasonable bet," Macao consoled.

"I thought so too," Makarov sniffled. "But it was not destined to be, sadly. Perhaps in another timeline, it would be so."

Macao nodded sympathetically, patting the old man's shoulder as he continued to silently weep.

* * *

The crowd of onlookers dispersed not long after, with everyone going back into the relative comfort of the guildhall. Natsu and Gray did not join them immediately, however. They two continued to lie on the ground for some time, ruminating over what they could only think of as their loss. It was, by all accounts, a draw, but neither of them saw it that way.

Gray was the first to rise, entering the guildhall in search of a first aid kit to treat his various scrapes and bruises. He spared one last glance at Natsu, who continued to lay prone on the ground, before turning his back and leaving. Sometime later, Natsu decided that is was time to get up too. But instead of following Gray, he turned towards the lake and strolled down to its edge, leisurely, as if he had all the time in the world. He stripped off his doublet and dusted it off, before folding up and placing it on a patch of grass. Kneeling at the lake's edge, he cleaned his cuts as thoroughly as he could in the crystal-clear waters, before dressing once again. Then, he finally turned back to the guildhall, dragging his feet as he walked the short distance back.

To his surprise, he found someone waiting for him. The person in question stood in the shade of a small tree- one of the few in the area. Still wearing a thick cloak despite the heat, she would likely make anyone who happened to even look at her to feel overheated, but she seemed unaffected by it. Even before he began to approach her, he could feel her eyes on him, inviting him closer.

"Hey Mirajane," he greeted, as he entered talking distance. "Come out to enjoy the weather?"

"Hardly. Elfman and Lisanna dragged me out here. They said they wanted to watch your fight."

"They did? Didn't see 'em," he said, remembering the incident. "Guess I wasn't paying much attention though, probably just missed 'em. Where are they now?"

"They went back inside- it was too sunny for them and we didn't have any sunscreen."

"Yeah, I get that," Natsu said, considering the two siblings in his head. "Doesn't surprise me that Lisanna has problems with it."

Mirajane shook her head slowly. "She manages just fine- no matter how much sun she catches, she just tans. Elfman though… he's always had sensitive skin. He gets sunburn even on cloudy days."

"Huh… I see," said Natsu. Just like when he first met them, his assumptions about the two were grossly off the mark. A mental image of Lisanna with a dark tan popped up into his head. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel that it fit strangely well. "That's interesting."

Mirajane simply nodded in response, not offering up anything else to continue the conversation. Natsu stood there awkwardly, racking his brains for a topic of conversation. However, he was unable to come up with anything and decided it might simply be better to leave.

He started to walk past her. "Ok then, I think I'm gonna go inside-"

"Wait."

There was an unusual tone to her command- something akin to urgency. He stopped abruptly and turned his head to look at her. There was an indiscernible glint in her eyes, a hint of the question that was on the tip of her tongue.

"Yeah? What's up?" he asked.

"...When you told me you thought of the guild as your family, were you lying?"

"...No?"

He didn't know why that came out as a question. He thought that maybe it was because the question was so unexpected.

"No," he repeated, more firmly. "Why?"

"I overheard you and the old man talking about your little secret. The magic that you're hiding from your so-called 'family'. And now today, you were fighting with that other boy. Why would you do those things if you're supposed to care about your guildmates?"

"...I don't know. But if I'm honest… I think that's pretty normal."

Mirajane made a perplexed face. "What? How are either of those things _normal_?"

"Well, you don't go around telling people your whole life story, do ya? And there are some things that you just don't tell people, because it might hurt or upset them. Or because if they knew something, they might do something they shouldn't. More than that though, I think everyone deserves to be able to keep some things to themselves. To have privacy."

"Even when those things are really important?"

"We still talkin' about my magic? Would anyone's life change if they knew about it? I don't think it would really," he answered. "That's one thing they don't know about me, but there's a lot more they _do _know. Like how I love food, or how I sometimes get a little carried away. They know how much I miss Igneel and want to see him again. And they know that I'd risk my life for 'em if they were in danger."

"Even for Gray?"

"Yeah, even for him, that ass. Because, even if I fight with him all the time, I wouldn't wanna see him get hurt for real. Fighting's normal for a family- I guess they normally use words instead of their fists, but that's not the point. As long as you make up afterwards and all the good things you do for each other outweighs that, I think that's all you need."

It was probably one of the best speeches he'd ever made, but unfortunately, Mirajane didn't seem to understand it. In fact, she seemed completely unable to even compute what he had just said, judging from her expression.

"But… me, Elfman and Lisanna never fight," she muttered, lightly touching the locket around her neck.

"Then you're one of the lucky ones. But trust me though, it'll happen at some point," he said stoically. "There's no way you can spend your entire life with someone without having _some_ problems. And when it happens, just remember that it doesn't mean they love you any less."

His words hung heavily in the air and for once, Mirajane seemed unable to come up with a response. Somehow he got the feeling that she was seriously considering his words- finally, some progress. Having said all he had to say, he turned and walked away. But Mira continued to stand where she was, as still as a statue. Still fiddling with her locket, she stared blankly into the middle distance as her thoughts churned inside her head. Only when her thoughts settled somewhat, did she turn to enter the guild once more.

* * *

-March 15th X778-

A further nine days passed without any sign of change in Mirajane's situation.

The good weather that had graced the town of Magnolia a few days prior had since disappeared without a trace and heavy storms had rolled in to take its place. The continuous heavy rainfall pushed the town's drainage systems to their limits, causing minor floods in some areas. And to make matters worse, the combination of high winds and lightning storms that passed by periodically caused significant damage to both the town and the surrounding countryside. As a result of the severe weather, the mayor was forced to make a city-wide proclamation advising the populace to avoid any non-essential travel and to stay indoors wherever possible.

Today was one of those days where the storms were being particularly fierce and to Natsu's dismay, it didn't look like it would let up any time soon. Strictly speaking, he was a restless soul and not someone who could stand extended periods of inactivity- but the circumstances being what they were, there was little he could do except sit and wait. There were times when he considered braving the weather and going out anyway, but he always came to the conclusion that there was no point in doing so. Even if he was to go out, it wouldn't be very comfortable and his options for recreation would be rather limited. Unable to sit idly for another day, he had decided to visit the guild that morning, where he spent several hours whiling away the time. At this point, it was late in the afternoon, verging on evening. Standing by one of the windows in the main hall, Natsu watched as the raindrops skittered across the roofs of the building across the street, falling to the road below. Somewhat mesmerised by the water's movement, he still didn't fail to detect the sound of light footsteps coming up behind him.

"Hey, Cana,"

He heard the person scuff their feet against the floor, presumably startled by his sudden words. "How did you know it was me?" a voice said.

He turned to face the speaker and saw that it was in fact Cana, as he had predicted. He smiled gently in response to her question. "Lucky guess," he replied. Technically speaking, he had been telling the truth, but there was more to it than that. He had known from the sound of the footsteps that whoever had been behind him was quite light on their feet. So when he also considered the fact that said person was also wearing Cherry Blossom perfume, that left only one person in mind. He couldn't help but think back to his first job, when he'd worked with Cana. It was nice to see that she had decided to pick up some more of that perfume after all.

"Enjoying the rain?" Cana asked, moving to his side.

"Heh… I'm gonna have to say no. I can't stand the rain."

"Really? I love rainy days!" Cana enthused. "Getting caught in the rain and having to run before you get soaking wet is the funniest thing ever. And nothing beats being inside during a storm- I love settling down with some thick blankets and a hot drink. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy."

"Well, not me. It just makes me feel like I'm trapped and there's nothing to do." He looked around the room pointedly, noting the distinct lack of people. Evidently, most of his guildmates had decided to stay home today, instead of coming in.

"I guess I can see where you're coming from. But there's plenty to do if you know where to look," she said. "Levy and I were about to play some board games. You can join us if you want?"

Natsu thought about it for a moment. "Sure,"

"Great," exclaimed Cana. "Oh that reminds me, Levy said you've played Shogi a few times with her, right? She super good at it- maybe if we team up together we could beat her?"

Without another word, she ran across the room to where Levy was sat at one of the tables. To Natsu's amusement, the blue-haired girl was surrounded by an overwhelming number of books, board games and other items of similar purpose. Not only did they occupy the table itself, but she'd also put many of them on or under the bench she was sat on, simply so she could keep them within reaching distance. It was as if she was preparing to be trapped in this room for an entire month.

Natsu moved as if to join them, but something made him glance over to the bar. Once again, Mirajane was sat by herself. However, she looked even more dejected than normal and was holding her locket in her clenched fist. For some reason, the sight made his stomach clench.

"Hey, Natsu! What are you waiting for?"

Natsu looked over to see Cana and Levy waving at him from across the room. Putting his thoughts of MIrajane aside for a moment, he braced himself for what was to come and went to join the two girls.

* * *

"Wooh, that was a great game!" Levy said, stretching her arms out. "You guys are getting pretty good."

"Coming from someone who still wins most of the games we play, despite our best efforts, that doesn't mean an awful lot," Cana replied. Her words made her sound like she was complaining, but her tone made it clear that the comment was in jest. "I feel like I could do with a break, but afterwards, I _need_ a rematch!"

"How can I say no to that?" Levy asked, laughing.

Natsu could only groan in reply and the two girls looked at him in concern.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" Cana asked.

"I think my brain's gonna melt," came the reply.

"I mean… you don't have to play if you don't want to," Cana said reasonably. "I mean, we've been playing for almost three hours already. If you want, you can just sit and watch?"

"No… I'll keep playing. I have to win at least one game. Just you watch, when I come back after our break… you'll see my full game master powers."

The two girls chuckled in response to his bravado.

"Ok then, should we come back in around half an hour then?" Levy asked.

The other two replied in agreement and the trio split off for the time being. Natsu, in dire need of refreshment, walked over to the bar in search of something to replenish his energy. He plonked himself down on one of the barstools and one of the bartenders rushed over to him. He was an older man and looked rather out of place amongst the crew of mostly young staff.

"What can I do for you, young man?"

"Have you got any drinks with lotsa sugar? I need energy."

The bartender chuckled in reply. "I've got just the thing. Be right with you."

The bartender left to get his drink and Natsu dropped his head onto the table exhaustedly, relishing the cool sensation of the table against his skin. If had been a little later in the day, he might have fallen asleep right there and then, which would have been a very dangerous thing. The probability of waking up to find scrawled words and doodles on his face was too damn high.

From his current position, he could see down the entire length of the bar, which was admittedly less busy than usual due to the sole fact that most of the guild was absent. Interestingly though, there was one face, in particular, that was missing- that of a certain morose young lady who normally sat at the far end of the bar. The space that she normally occupied on a daily basis was shockingly vacant.

Natsu frowned as he processed the thought, but came to the conclusion that it was nothing to worry about. For all he knew, Mirajane could have just gone to the bathroom or something, so he didn't think it too out of the ordinary. A moment later, the bartender arrived with his drink and he switched his attention to the beverage instead. Served in a standard glass flagon, the drink had separated into three different layers coloured blue, purple and red. Where the three layers met, there was a violent fizzing as the three concoctions reacted with each other. On the top, there was a thick layer of what appeared to be either cream or foam, though Natsu couldn't quite discern which.

"Here we are," the bartender declared, placing the drink in front of Natsu. "One of our more unusual drinks… we call it Driftmote."

"Oh… why Driftmote?"

The bartender chuckled. "Once you try it, you'll understand." Then he walked away to serve another customer.

Figuring it was worth seeing what the old-timer was on about, Natsu took a sip of the weird beverage… and the world around him seemed to drift away for a second. The drink was sickeningly sweet, yet not unpleasantly so. But more interestingly, the fizzing sensation that he felt as he sipped the drink triggered some sort of out of body experience. Out of shock, he froze for a few seconds, before the effects of the drink wore off.

'_Woah… that was so cool!'_ he thought. Eager to experience the unusual sensations again, he continued to drink the beverage. Slowly, savouring its taste to its fullest.

But while he was thoroughly enjoying his phenomenal drink, it was not enough to hold his attention entirely and his eyes kept flicking back to the seat where Mirajane should be. When an entire twenty minutes had passed by and she had yet to return, he finally realized that something was amiss.

He made eye contact with the bartender who had served him before and made a gesture. The man walked over to Natsu. "Is there anything else I can get ya?" he asked.

"Nah, but I do have a question," Natsu said, nodding over to Mirajane's empty seat. "The girl that normally sits over there. Do you know where she went?"

The bartender looked over to the spot that Natsu had indicated and rubbed his chin in thought. "The pale-haired girl, you mean? Honestly, I hadn't even noticed she'd gone…" he said. He turned to one of his colleagues, who was walking past to grab a glass. "Hey, Evie. You see where our moody little mascot went?"

The voluptuous beauty before them didn't hesitate in the slightest as she continued to pour a pint from the tap. Her dark hair swished to one side as she turned her head, revealing rich caramel skin and luscious lips, slightly parted as if about to speak. Hazel eyes regarded the two of them with a quiet curiosity.

"You mean Little Miss Ice Shade, I take it?" the woman replied. She spoke with a casual familiarity that suggested a gregarious nature. "She left about half an hour ago. Walked right out the front door. Told her it wasn't safe to go out there alone, but she just didn't listen."

Hearing the news was enough to make Natsu's blood run cold. Suddenly, he recalled the awful feeling of dread he had felt earlier and cursed himself for not acting on it. He didn't know why Mirajane had left- he only knew that by doing so, she had put herself in harm's way. And when he'd had the opportunity to prevent it, he had done nothing.

He could only hope it hadn't been his last opportunity.

Before he could even think, his body acted of its own accord. He leapt off his stool and sprinted towards the entrance.

"Hey! Pay for your drink before you run off!" the older bartender called.

"Just add it to my tab!"

And as the door slammed behind him, the sound reverberated around the room, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. But after a moment, most turned their attention back to whatever had been occupying it before. Only one person seemed to notice Natsu's absence. Lisanna had been distracted with chatting to some of the other guild members, but she had keenly felt what she could only describe as Natsu's presence. And now that presence was gone. But more than that, her sister was also missing. Her thoughts raced a mile a minute as she processed the implications and her eyes widened as she came to a conclusion.

"_I'll do my best to help Mirajane… in whatever way I can."_

Wherever Mira had gone, Natsu was going too. To help her sister, who she loved with all her being. There was no way she was going to let him do it alone. With equal parts fear and determination in her heart, she raced off to find her brother.

* * *

**And there we have it. After making severe cuts to this chapter, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you off on a cliffhanger for now. Had I written everything I'd originally had planned for this chapter, it'd probably be around 30,000 words, which really is excessive considering my 10 previous chapters only total up to 60,000 words.**

**I guess the only thing I wanted to mention at the moment is that I'm currently looking at making a P.A.T.R.E.O.N. page to give you guys the option of supporting me while I write this story. It's still a work in progress, so I might have it up by the time I finish the next chapter? It will, of course, be completely optional, but I will definitely appreciate the support. I'll probably end up setting up some tiers with various rewards depending on how much people donate (if anything), but first I'll have to think up some rewards for said tiers I guess.**

**I'd like to give a special thanks to Tu for a lovely review that they left on the last chapter. (If you happen to be reading this, your "rambling mess" of a review was heartwarming to read, so thank you for taking the time to write it).**

**Now, Tu made a very interesting request, which was to make Gajeel female. It sounds a little outlandish, but after giving it some thought, I think I could actually pull it off in an interesting way. It would also resolve the mini harem situation I wanted to do with Levi. I would like to give it a shot, but if people are vehemently against it, I'll drop the idea. So let me know what you think.**

**Anyway, I hope to have the rest of the chapter done in around 2 weeks, maybe a month depending on whether my brain lets me do something productive. So hope to see you guys again soon. Please consider leaving a Follow or Favourite if you haven't already. It's my way of knowing if you guys enjoyed the chapter or not. Better yet, you can even leave me a review to let me know your thoughts too. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Any feedback is appreciated as long as it's constructive.**

**But I'm babbling on again. So before I get caught up in another speel, I hope you guys have a good week and I will see you later. Bye!**


	12. Chapter 11 - The Darkest Part

**Hi, welcome back. Once again, it appears that it took me longer than I had expected to write up the next chapter for this story. It definitely appears that I'm pretty bad at estimating how long it'll take me to write my chapters. I'm my defence though, it did end up quite a bit longer than I'd intended!**

**Anyway, I did have a few things I wanted to talk about, but I'll leave them till then end, so for now, please enjoy!**

* * *

Heart of Fire  
Wings of Light  
I have withstood the harshest of winters  
In this once barren heart of mine  
Colder and emptier without you here  
And yet my flame burns on

* * *

Had Natsu stopped to look at the weather, he would only be able to describe it as a tempest. Gale force winds whipped through the streets, pummelling anything in its way. The driving rain fell with such intensity that visibility was practically non-existent. And through it all, the menacing flash of the lightning above and the resultant roar hung over his head. Every second spent out here was inviting death. But he didn't pay that any mind as he raced through the streets, desperately searching. It was at times like these that he realized just how large Magnolia was- with so many people living here, it was impossible for it to be anything but. It was a merchant town, making it an important travel hub for a lot of travellers and therefore, there were several ways in and out of the city. There was, of course, the train station in the south-east quarter of town, or the branching road system at the town's main entrance that lead to a number of nearby locations. If Natsu could say for sure that Mirajane would be using either of these means of travel, he would at least have some idea of where to look. But given the weather and Mirajane's own lack of funds, she was more likely to travel on foot- which meant she could go literally _anywhere_. Time was of the essence and he daren't stop to take the time to evaluate the situation, lest the worst come to pass. So he continued to run aimlessly, looking for the slightest sign that would indicate Mirajane's whereabouts. As he emerged from one road onto another, he took a turn too sharply and the water beneath his feet caused him to slip. He tumbled to the floor, wincing as he struck the stone-hard surface, but despite the pain, he climbed to his feet again and continued to run.

More minutes passed, but then, unexpectedly, he ran past a small group of odd-looking people. His shock was such that, while he didn't stop entirely, he did slow down enough to have a good look at them. It was hard to tell if the four people before him were male or female. They all wore metal helmets, with a metal mesh at the front, making it hard to see their faces. Also, they all wore the same outfit- a heavy looking grey suit with a metallic sheen that covered them from head to toe. Reflective yellow strips ran across their outfit in multiple places, making them visible even in the gloom around them. They all carried heavy-looking packs, which were made of a similar material to their suits and one of them was holding what appeared to be a lightning rod. As soon as he noticed that final little detail, something clicked inside his head. Although Natsu couldn't say for sure, he was fairly sure these people were Storm Chasers, agents of an organisation known as Gaia. They were a natural disaster unit whose role was to help mitigate the effects of severe weather.

At first, it seemed like the Storm Chasers were going to just ignore Natsu, but as he passed the group, one of them turned and grabbed onto the collar of his shirt.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing out here, kid? Do you not see what's going on around us or something?!"

A distinctly male voice- a little hoarse from shouting over the noise of the storm and more than a little gruff-sounding. But despite that, his actions suggested that he had a compassionate soul. However, right now, he was nothing more than an obstacle to overcome.

"Let go!" Natsu yelled as he attempted to free himself from the man's clutches.

"Fat chance, kid! I don't know if you have a death wish or something, being out here alone, but I'm not going to stand for it- not again."

'_Not again?'_ Natsu thought. _'What does that mean?'_

The man's companions moved to support him, cajoling Natsu to join them, so he would be 'safe'. Making a hasty decision, Natsu stopped resisting and let the man lead him away.

The man grunted. "Good." Then, he muttered to himself. "At least you're being more cooperative than that other kid. She wouldn't even listen to me."

So Natsu wasn't the first person the man had attempted to guide to shelter tonight. "This girl… what did she look like?" Natsu asked.

Natsu looked straight into the man's face through that mesh front, now finally able to make out the man's features now that he was a little closer. The Storm Chaser gave him a look that implied that he didn't think Natsu's question was particularly important, given the circumstances.

"Well, can't say I really got a good look at her. But she was about your age. Silvery hair."

"Huh… where was she when you last saw her?"

"You're a nosey little bugger, I see. Let's see… not too far from the city gates, I guess. She seemed determined to leave town for some reason, even though I warned her against it."

Natsu took a second to absorb the man's words. "Hmm… thanks, you've told me everything I need to know. And for the record, I'm sorry."

"Eh? Sorry for-"

The poor man didn't even get the chance to finish his sentence. Natsu spun around as fast as he could and kicked the man in the groin with every ounce of his strength. Overwhelmed by debilitating pain, the unfortunate Storm Chaser loosened his grip on Natsu, who tore lose and made a hasty departure. As Natsu sprinted away, the Storm Chaser dropped to his knees and for the second time that night, swore on his life that he'd do the world a favour and never father so-called 'child-spawn'. Natsu couldn't help but feel a little guilty for what he'd done, but it had been necessary. He made a mental note to make it up to the guy should they ever cross paths again- for the clue the man had given him might have just made all the difference. Natsu beelined straight for the city gates, becoming little more than a blur as he dashed through the pouring rain. In what seemed like no time at all, he was leaving Magnolia behind him. By his estimation, he would soon catch up to Mirajane, even considering the headstart she'd had. This was, of course, assuming he could maintain this pace, which was looking unlikely. He was already on the verge of another dilemma- the road that he was following ran in a more-or-less straight line for a short distance, but very soon, he would come across the first of many branching pathways. It was a safe bet to say that Mirajane probably took one of these paths, rather than walking cross-country, but he had no idea which path she had taken. Unless he stumbled on another traveller who'd happened to see her- which was highly unlikely- he wasn't sure what else he could do.

In circumstances like this, Natsu's best bet was probably to fall back on what he did best- tracking. He wasn't sure how effective it would be since the rain would mask Mirajane's scent, but he could only hope that he was close enough that it wouldn't make any difference. And so, he activated his Dragonsense and pushed his senses to their limits, to the point where he could hear the rustle of a mouse moving through the undergrowth, or see every single grain of dirt beneath his feet. Then he turned and jogged down the length of the road. Every time he reached an intersection, he would stop for a moment and scout out the area for any signs that Mirajane had passed that way, using both his sight and sense of smell.

He didn't notice anything at the first intersection.

Nor the second.

Each and every time Natsu stopped, he failed to find anything of note. As he grew more desperate, his pauses at each intersection grew gradually longer, until he was stopping for around two minutes each time. By the time he reached the last fork in the road, his feelings of despair were enough to drown whatever hope he still had. He stopped to check both paths, his last two chances… and he found nothing. Not so much as a thread of her clothing, or the faintest whiff of her scent. The enormous sense of disbelief he felt was indescribable. As the realization that he had failed finally began to sink in, he fell to his knees, utterly defeated. He had given it everything he'd had but fallen at the last hurdle. His chances of finding Mirajane had dwindled to practically nothing… but somehow that gave him a sense of relief. He could resign himself to knowing that he had given it his all, even if it had been a fruitless endeavour. He didn't have to worry about what he would do when he found her. That thought by itself lifted a lot of the weight off his shoulders. All he had to do was go back and explain what had happened. Explain how Mira had decided to leave the guild.

And explain to Elfman and Lisanna that their big sister wasn't coming back.

Natsu stiffened as that last thought crossed his mind. He could already see it- the confusion and dismay plastered on their faces. The signs of pain etched in every line of their expressions and the heartache that would follow them as they did their best to go about their daily lives. And the sense of loss that they would feel as a result of being abandoned by the one person they felt they could rely on.

Had they not experienced enough pain? They had already lost more than anyone their age should ever have to lose. When Natsu thought about the two of them going through what he had, his heart broke. He wouldn't let it happen. He _couldn't _let it happen.

Natsu closed his eyes, focusing inwardly. In his mind, he envisioned a flame, to which he fed all the stray thoughts inside his head. He burned away his extraneous thoughts, his doubts and his fears until all that was left was the flame, suspended within an endless void. The incandescent flame burned dazzlingly bright, imbued with his fiery determination. A determination to achieve his goal, no matter what it took. He knew now what he had to do, though logically speaking, it made little sense. Before, he had relied on reason to try and determine the best path, but he just didn't have the information he needed to find Mirajane. He had many paths to take and no way to know which was the right one. And on top of that, if he chose the wrong path, the trail would go cold and he would lose what really was his last opportunity. So he concluded that under the circumstances, the only thing he could do was rely on his instincts and take a guess.

He took a deep breath and waited for his heart to cease hammering. Then he focused once again- not on his mind, but on his stomach. In his opinion, people rarely relied on their gut feelings, or at least, not as much as they should. But in the modern world, rational thinking took on a much greater role, so he could hardly blame people for overlooking it. However, he knew from experience that if you develop them and use them correctly, one's instincts can become a powerful tool. So with this in mind, he listened… and prayed.

At first, he couldn't feel anything out of place, only the ever-present energy of nature around him. But he pushed his senses even further, refusing to give up so easily. Distantly, he could feel multiple foreign energy signatures, which he attributed to sources of magic. He analysed these signatures, noticing that one seemed familiar. He focused further on that energy and shuddered as something revolting brushed against his mind. A sense of death and decay- without a doubt, that was Mirajane.

Abandoning the road, Natsu ran cross-country, using the magic as a beacon. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the feeling within him occupied all his attention. It was in part due to this that he ended up being surprised when he noticed something following him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of movement and turned his head just enough to get a good look at it.

What he saw was a small, indistinct shape floating at face-level. It looked somewhat like a small, wispy cloud, with vague impressions of what he could only imagine to be facial features. It continually flickered with electricity, regarding him with some interest. Even more curiously, there seemed to be many more floating much higher up that he had failed to notice before.

"What the-"

He was about to ask what the hell the thing in front of him was, but then he remembered something from a while back.

* * *

"_Hey, Levy. Whatcha readin'?"_

_It was an ordinary morning at the guild, a few months back. As she often did when she wasn't occupied with a board game, Levy had her head buried in a book._

"'_Extraordinary Beasts'… it's all about weird and unusual creatures."_

'_Huh… that doesn't sound too bad,' Natsu thought. Generally speaking, he didn't understand the appeal of books, but this one at least sounded fairly entertaining. "Sounds cool. Found anything interesting?" he asked._

"_Yeah, quite a lot, actually," Levy replied, nodding. She leafed through the pages, before stopping at a page that had apparently previously caught her interest. "This section's all about what they call 'Earthly Entities'. These creatures are like some sort of naturally occurring extension of the land itself. The most common ones take the form of one of the elements."_

_She pointed to an expertly drawn illustration. "This one here is a Storm Elemental, which bears the element of lightning. They're a variation of the Air Elemental, but they're particularly fond of stormy weather. Most people can't see them, because…. well, they're made of air, so they just blend in with the air around them. They're attracted to storms and will follow one around for an awfully long time. Unfortunately, their presence actually increases the severity of the storms, so the more elementals there are in the area, the worse the storm gets._

* * *

The information that Natsu had gained that day came to the forefront of his mind. Suddenly, the reason behind the unusual weather was clear to him: the last Winter had already been particularly harsh, causing the summer storms to arrive several months early. This in turn, had drawn the Storm Elementals here, creating a storm far beyond what should have occurred.

Natsu glared at the elemental as it drew closer to his face get a better look at him. He batted it aside with the back of his hand, though without any true malice, before dismissing it from his thoughts and continuing on.

He had more important things to focus on right now.

* * *

Darkness within. Light Without.  
They say these things are but parts of a whole,  
But my heart lacks room for both, only one lives here.  
Brother, Sister, I am sorry,  
This is a burden I cannot bear,  
For a monster does not know how to love.

* * *

It felt as if it had been a long time since she had stepped in the woods. Though, truthfully, it had been only a little over a month, during those days prior to her arrival in Magnolia. She had spent so much time in the untamed wilderness, surrounded by trees, that she should have been sick of it.

Once upon a time, she had enjoyed times like these. Leaving civilisation behind had felt like a treat, an adventure even. Just a small outing with her loved ones- or on rare occasions, by herself- where she had been able to pretend for a little while that she had an exceptional life. To pretend that she was somehow special.

There was none of that joy within her now. Cheerlessly, she trudged forward, mud splattering all over once pristine boots.

'_Mum and Dad bought these boots for me…'_ she thought absent-mindedly.

It was only after this random thought that she realised she'd strayed from the path she had been following. How long ago had that been? Five minutes? Fifteen? An hour? She hadn't even noticed, had been too pre-occupied with her own thoughts to even look where she was going.

She chuckled bitterly, head drooping, lifted one hand to cover her eyes and massage her temples. _'And to top it all off, now I'm lost… could it get any worse?'_

Suddenly, she heard something over the sound of the pouring rain. Regular impacts and splashes as something rushed toward her. Whoever, or whatever it was, it was close- too close for her to have time to run or hide. She turned quickly to face the source of the noise, peering through the darkness towards the figure that rapidly drew nearer. The figure bee-lined towards her and she tensed, prepared for an attack. But the figure gradually slowed, before coming to a stop a short distance away.

"You know, I never thought we'd be in a situation like this. But I'm not all that surprised either."

Even though the speaker was a little out of breath, she could still recognise that voice.

"Natsu?" she asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I think I should be the one asking that. But we both know the answer to that question. I'm more interested in hearing _why _instead."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

Natsu scoffed, a spark of anger in his eyes. "Don't play stupid. You're leaving and I'm pretty sure you're not planning on coming back. I get that you might not want to stick around anymore- but you're not taking Elfman and Lisanna with you. So tell me… why are you leaving them behind?"

As he asked the question, he stared directly into her eyes, leaving her no room to dodge the question. Mirajane returned his gaze with an equally steely stare, stubbornly refusing to provide an answer. But as he continued to lock eyes with her, the defiance in her stance started to drain away, replaced instead by weary resignation.

"Because it's for the best," she responded finally.

The words hung in the air like a dark cloud.

"'For the best'? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Natsu responded angrily. "How could abandoning them ever be the better option?!"

Despite being relatively calm at first, his words made her increasingly incensed. "I should have known you would never understand," she said, venomously. "Let's just say that recent events have made me realise that I'm not capable of looking after them. And as much as I hate to admit it, everyone in Fairy Tail is… pretty decent. They would be far better off if I disappeared and left them behind."

"What a load of rubbish."

"Is it?" Mirajane asked coldly. "Because of me, we were forced to leave our home. When they needed me, I failed to look after them. And then there's this…" She drew back her cloak and raised her demonic arm. "Just look at me… I'm a monster."

"No, you're not."

"Shut up!" Mirajane screamed. Natsu involuntarily took a step backwards at her sudden outburst. But even more unexpectedly, her simple cry turned into a full-on tirade. "You always act like you know everything, but you don't know anything about me! You don't know what I've been through or what I've had to give up to get here. You don't know what it's like to have your childhood taken from you, to have to give your whole life to looking after someone else. And then after I've lost everything I've ever known, I turned into a freak. So don't you dare pretend you know the answer to anything, because what would you know?!

Natsu didn't answer immediately, simply choosing to maintain his hard look. And when he finally did speak, it was in a low voice, so quiet that she almost didn't hear it. "A lot more than you think," he responded. For a split second, Mirajane swore that she saw something in his eyes- his unnaturally bright eyes, that she shouldn't have been able to see in the gloom of the night. His pupils shifted, becoming that of a reptile. But when he blinked, they returned to normal, leaving her unsure whether or not she'd actually seen anything after all. Regardless, what she may or may not have seen was enough to spook her. She took a half step back, her eyes darting side to side. Her overt reactions were more than enough to alert Natsu to her intentions. She turned to run, but before she managed to even take a single step, she was stunned by a lightning bolt zipping by her face.

"Sorry Mirajane," Natsu said with sadness. "But I'm not lettin' your run away from this. If you do, you'll probably spend your whole life running."

"So what? Are you going to kill me?" Mirajane asked. "Are you going to go that far to stop me?"

"I'd rather not do that if, I have any choice. That's why the first shot was a warning." Steadily, his whole demeanour grew darker as his face set into a mask of stone. "But if you don't accept that this is who you are, I might just kill you after all. It would be better than letting you go through with this."

Mirajane shuddered at his grave declaration, the shudders running up her spine confirming the sincerity of his words. This was not the laidback young man she had come to know- he was the embodiment of unrestrained hostility. He was a threat. He was an enemy. The thought of fighting Natsu, who was an experienced and capable wizard, was enough to make shivers run up and down Mirajane's spine. She adjusted her stance, both physically and mentally preparing herself for a fight.

It was only because of this that she managed to avoid Natsu's first attack. As soon as she moved, Natsu raised one hand and launched another bolt of lightning. The attack rocketed towards her, but just in time, she twisted her upper body, causing it to fly harmlessly past her left shoulder. She wasn't, however, prepared for the follow-up attack that came a fraction of a second later. Left off-balance, she had no choice but to throw herself backwards to avoid it, resulting in a hard tumble into the mud. Instinct, rather than thought, took over then, as she scrambled backwards to avoid the flurry of attacks that Natsu aimed at her legs. A quick roll put a tree between her and Natsu, breaking his line of fire. She sprung to her feet as quickly as she could and ran in the opposite direction, using the trees as cover. Every other step was accompanied by the whizzing sound of a lightning bolt as it lanced towards her, fizzling out as it struck the ground, the trees and thankfully, everything but her. She ran as if her life depended on it- which was, unfortunately, the case, as far as she could tell. She hadn't seen the slightest indication that Natsu had been anything less than serious- in fact, the merciless glint in his eyes all but confirmed his intentions. It instilled in her a boundless dread too vast to even comprehend. She may as well have been facing a force of nature.

So she ran. Forcing her body to move forward, to put one foot in front of the other, even as she trembled with fear and exertion. She realized all too quickly that she tiring at an alarming rate. She had never been as physically active as she could have been, so her full-on sprint coupled with her malnutrition from eating poorly for several weeks quickly sapped her strength. The acid-like burning in her chest continued to build and with each step, her legs grew weaker until she was sure she would collapse at any moment. But despite that, she continued on. To stop now would be to admit defeat and die- and that was something she had yet to do, ever since her mum and dad had passed. Oh, she'd come close, on many occasions. But she'd never quite crossed that line, never sunk completely into despair. And she sure as hell wasn't about to do that now.

She took another step, then five, then twenty. Against the odds, she'd yet to take a hit, despite the persistent rain of magic projectiles that still landed at her heels. She'd managed to stay ahead and out of range of the oh-so-powerful dragonslayer of Fairy Tail. It occurred to her that perhaps she had a chance still; Maybe she could just keep running- surely if she could run from something like this, she'd be able to run away from all her problems. Just keep running and leave it all behind. A faint spark of hope bloomed in her mind. Then she emerged into a clearing in the trees, perched on the edge of a large hill. The spark of hope vanished without a trace and in its place, apprehension bloomed.

All she saw was a surreal blur and a flash of pink as something- or rather someone- leapt to her side. The figure slid one foot into her path and swept her feet out from under her. It took Mirajane a moment to process what had happened. As her brain struggled to catch up, the only thing she could think about was how the ground seemed abnormally close. Eyes widening, she just about managed to throw up her hands in front of her face before she hit the ground. It was enough to lessen the impact, but not by much. Plus, it did nothing to stop her from tumbling end over end across the rough ground. She came to a stop quickly, however. While she wanted to do nothing but lay there and groan until the pain subsided, she ignored the bleeding from her scraped hands and forced herself into a kneeling position. Her vision was blurred, but it cleared after she blinked a few times.

_He was there._

Natsu stood before her with death in his eyes. She knew then that there was no running from him. He always had and always would outlast her, until the very end. Even if she was to lose him, he would find her.

With a grip of iron, he picked her up with one hand and threw her backwards, though this time, she managed to land on her feet. Natsu rushed towards her once more and she reflexively threw up her arms in front of her face, feeling a stab of pain as his fist struck her raised forearms. Then she almost blacked out as her exposed torso took a hit so strong that she was sure her ribs were going to cave in. She gasped as agony washed over her and staggered back a couple of steps. Unrelenting is his assault, Natsu lowered his stance and charged, ploughing into her forcefully and knocking her to the ground. But that wasn't his only intention. As she fell, he rolled with her, moving his body close to hers and holding onto her tightly. She twisted and turned in an effort to escape his clutches, but he used her every movement against her. In the end, she found herself pinned to the floor, facing up at him as he knelt over her in his terrifying visage, set against the backdrop of the stormy sky above.

Was this it?

Was this… the end?

Restrained as she was, there was nothing that she could do to defend herself. She could only watch as Natsu drew back his fist and prepared to deliver the finishing blow.

Was this how she was destined to die? To go out with a whimper, before she'd even had a chance to live a full life?

She had lived her whole life on the whim of others. When she was born, she had been the light of her parent's life; Their first-born, their little star. They had showered her in all the love they'd had to give and she, in turn, had given everything she had to return their affections and make them as proud as could be. Forever seeking their approval, she had endeavoured to be a model child: respectful, well-behaved and diligent. For a while, she had been the centre of their world.

But it was not to last.

Soon after, Elfman was born. Then, after a similar length of time, Lisanna followed.

Mirajane was no longer the only one in her parent's hearts, but in truth, she didn't mind too much. Even if she had been a little jealous at first, she had come to adore her little siblings and wished to nurture them in much the same way that her parents had. And so, she'd chosen to step out of the spotlight that was their parent's attention and instead support her younger siblings from the shadows. She'd still played the part of a perfect child, but she'd no longer sought to garner her parent's favour. At the time she had told herself that she was content with that life. So why did she only now realize how hurt she had been?

She would never again hear her parents say that they loved her. That they were proud of her. She had squandered the time she'd had left with them, believing that they had years ahead of them. Now that they were gone, there was no-one to care for her little siblings. She had willingly taken up those reins, chosen to play the part of Protector. No… it would be better to say that she'd shackled herself. Trapped herself in a new role, unable to just be herself. It struck her that there was something terribly… _unfair_ about that. Why did everyone else get to live the life they wanted, while she dedicated herself to someone else? Why was it that, when she finally decided she wanted to be her own person, she was going to die?

No… that wasn't about to happen. It _couldn't_.

She had almost let despair swallow her, certain of her own demise. But she could still live. While Natsu had her all but pinned down, he had left her transformed right arm unhindered. Recalling what she had once managed to do with this very arm, she shuddered involuntarily. Though the prospect of using that power again sickened her, there was nothing else she could do now.

A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating Natsu as he embraced his magic once more, starting the downward swing that would finish her. With a wordless cry, Mirajane threw her right hand out, fingers splayed and struck Natsu's chest. She did not truly know how to use her magic, yet it seemed to respond to her desperation. Just as it had that day, she felt a peculiar sensation as something inside of her trembled and a familiar purple light flashed out of her hand. With a resounding boom, her magic rushed out of her, catapulting Natsu backwards like a rag doll. No longer restrained, Mirajane climbed to her feet, feeling empowered by the magic that flowed through her. It was incredible… and so incredibly vile, like poison flowing through her veins. Using this power was enough to make her sick to her stomach, but that wasn't something to concern herself with right now. There was something else that required her full attention at the moment.

* * *

As Natsu sailed through the air, he just about had time to question what had happened, before he fell back to earth. A second or two later, he slammed into the ground with significant force, which would have no doubt been excruciating if he hadn't twisted in mid-air so that he could turn roll into his inevitable landing. As it was, the pain of the impact was merely uncomfortable, rather than debilitating. Allowing himself a small sigh of relief at his close call, he pumped his fist in celebration. Step one of Plan Convince Mirajane to Stay: _complete_.

Yes, he hadn't attacked Mirajane for the sake of it. He'd actually had a plan all along, one which first required that she come to terms with her magic. And so far, everything was working out just fine. Feeling incredibly satisfied, he climbed to his feet. He staggered a little as he did so- it seems that whatever magic Mirajane had used on him had left him feeling somewhat drained, as if his energy had been sucked out from him. Honestly, he felt… sickly. But it wasn't anything he couldn't deal with. Now, time to move on to step-

"Now you've done it."

"Huh?"

Natsu was a little startled by the harsh tone in Mirajane's words. There was a distinct undercurrent of animosity in her speech that hadn't been present before. As he took a closer look at Mirajane herself, he could see much of the same thing in her body language. A purplish-black miasma of hatred seemed to ooze out of her every pore.

No… it didn't _seem_ to. It actually was.

Mirajane's heightened emotions were causing her magic to manifest as a physical entity- a noxious cloud of smoke that was mostly see-through and most likely _highly _dangerous.

"You couldn't leave well alone, could you? You had to keep pushing me!" Mirajane screamed, her voice choked with emotion. "I suppose you're happy now. You got what you wanted, right? You forced me to use this _disgusting _power. _Was it all worth it?"_

The fumes surrounding Mirajane grew more intense with every word, billowing out in a great cloud. The sight of it was unnerving enough that Natsu had the urge to back up… but at the same time, he wanted to rush towards it. To test the limits of its effects. To pit his strength against someone who wielded the power of a literal demon.

"You got what you wanted, alright," Mirajane growled. "And I'll make sure you wish you never had."

To be quite frank, Natsu couldn't help but feel a little disturbed. MIrajane's sinister appearance as of that moment, combined with those ominous words, were enough to make any ordinary person quiver in their boots. However, Natsu was far from ordinary. How could he be? He had literally been raised by one of the most powerful creatures known to man. There was no way that a mere novice wizard would intimidate him into turning tail and running, no matter how powerful their magic. So, instead, he channelled his inner Laxus and replied to her threat with as much arrogance as he could muster:

"You're welcome to try."

Mirajane's eyes flashed at the provocation and with that one simple reaction, he knew he had her. He grinned smugly, which only seemed to aggravate her more.

"What the hell are you smiling at? I'll rip that smile clean off your face!" Mirajane howled, sprinting towards him. And very quickly at that. She crossed the intervening distance a lot quicker than he expected and threw a punch at his chest. Surprised by her speed, he reacted slowly and was thus unable to defend against the attack. Instead, he leant backwards as the blow landed, reducing the force behind the punch. His centre of gravity shifted to somewhere behind his heels and he started to fall, but he let his legs collapse under him and rolled into it, landing on his feet again in a feat of effortless athleticism.

Or rather, it should have been. Yet his heart hammered in his chest and breathing was nigh-on-impossible. His entire body felt… _heavy_… as if he'd spent the entire day lifting weights. _This wasn't right_. He shouldn't feel this way. Something was off, but his mind was foggy and he couldn't quite focus enough to think it through. In a daze, he watched as Mirajane moved seemingly in slow-motion, raising her right arm to strike him once again.

Something in his head screamed that he couldn't let her land another hit. The instant the thought crossed his mind, time resumed its normal course and the arm that had been drifting towards him at a leisurely pace instead rocketed towards his face.

She had managed to sucker punch him with her last attack. However, this time, he wasn't about to let her do it a second time. Ducking beneath her wild swing, he slammed the palm of his right hand into her midriff, which was enough to wind her. But he didn't stop there- instead, he stepped under her still-raised arm and grabbed the back of her collar. Hooking her right foot with his left, he pivoted and yanked her backwards to fall into the mud. Unlike Natsu, she wasn't able to fall quite as gracefully and so she hit the ground hard. But, to her credit, she didn't stay down long. Scrambling to her feet quickly, despite the pain she must have felt, she turned, intent on renewing her attack on Natsu, who had taken the opportunity to create distance between the two of them.

The dragonslayer contemplated the young lady before him. When he looked into her eyes, he could feel the rage rolling off her. It was unrelenting. An unending well of emotions born from years of pain… pain that desperately needed to be brought to the surface and released. Hell, if she really needed to vent that badly, he was more than happy to facilitate that.

Once again, Mirajane dashed towards him, lashing out again and again, with such a speed that each attack blurred into the next. The sheer power coursing through her lent her speed and strength that far surpassed her normal limits. At that moment, she was something more than human- but in the end, it mattered not. Her attacks were sloppy and executed without any form of strategy and so, Natsu was able to evade each and every one. His movements were like flowing water, fluid and unrelenting, leaving him ever out of reach. The gap in their skills was so vast that he could likely continue to evade her attacks until she collapsed from exhaustion.

However, that was a counter-productive approach to the situation, as Mirajane could hardly vent her frustrations on him if she couldn't at least get a few hits in. The question was, could he do that safely? The one time Mirajane had actually landed a hit on him, it felt like she'd literally drained the life out of him. Actually thinking about it, she'd done much the same thing when he'd had her pinned earlier: a simple touch with that transformed right arm of hers had sapped his strength and sent him flying. He could only assume it was an ability that stemmed from her magic. But what were the limits of that ability? Was it reliant on physical contact, or was it possible to cast it from a range? It was difficult to say for sure, as Mirajane was only just utilizing her powers for the first time, so not even she knew the extent of her new-found abilities. However, he felt it was safe to say that, even if she was capable of using said power over an extended distance, she would likely be limited to physical contact for now due to her lack of experience. So that led to the second question: could she exude that effect from any part of her body, as he did with his fire, or could she only use it with her right arm?

He could only think of one way to determine the answer to that question, but it would be rather risky. Eh, to hell with it anyway, he had never been one to let his fears stop him from doing what he needed to do.

He made sure to watch her moves carefully, trying to get his timing just right. Then, just as Mirajane threw a punch with her left hand, he deliberately allowed her punch to graze him. It was just the briefest touch, but to his relief, there was no sensation of weakness as she made contact. Thinking that it might just be a fluke or a trick, he allowed her to get another hit in. Then another. After half a dozen hits or so, he came to the conclusion that his initial hypothesis was right on the money. Now that certainly made things a little easier for him. As long as he could avoid that right arm of hers, he would be just fine.

Emboldened by her prior 'success' and Natsu's lack of retaliation, Mirajane had exerted herself even further as she continued to lash out at him. But now that Natsu was confident he had an accurate gauge of her abilities, he wasn't going to let her do that anymore. There were many openings in Mirajane's flawed defence and as she threw out a forward kick, one such opening became apparent- and Natsu exploited it ruthlessly. Mirajane's had aimed her kick at Natsu's somewhere in the region of Natsu's stomach, which could have been devastating if it had landed. But she lacked the skill and efficiency of a practised martial artist, so the kick was both slow and easily predicted. Natsu's response was a mere twist of his upper body.

Mirajane's kick, which should have hit Natsu square-on, merely grazed his stomach, making her foot slide past him. Mirajane only had time to express shock that her kick hadn't met the level of resistance she'd expected before Natsu grabbed the heel of her extended foot in one hand. Then, he took a single, long step back… dragging Mirajane's foot with him. As Natsu pulled her forwards, gravity pulled her down and before she knew it, she found herself doing the splits. The muscles in her legs screamed in protest and out of reflex, she swiped at Natsu with her right hand, forcing him to release his grip on her leg. As he stepped back out of reach, Mirajane dropped to the floor heavily, before sweeping one leg out in front of her in an attempt to trip him, or at least drive him back. Continuing her spin, she rose to her feet.

Chest heaving and head booming, Mirajane raised her forearms in defence, an instinctive move to protect her body. She knew her instincts were on the mark as she felt the sole of Natsu's boot strike her hastily raised guard. Such was the force of the blow that she feared that her bones were on the brink of shattering. Unable to resist the force of Natsu's kick, her arms collided with her chest and she skidded backwards, barely able to remain on her feet.

"Impossible," Mirajane whispered. She had pushed herself to her limits in an attempt to defeat the young man in front of her. For just a moment, she'd allowed herself to believe she'd had the upper hand in their altercation, yet he had so casually turned things around on her. And he didn't even seem out of breath. A feeling of extreme bitterness welled up inside her. "I guess you were just toying with me all along. I should have known."

"You're not wrong, I guess. But that wasn't the point of this."

"Oh really? So what exactly _was _this all for? Just wanted to point out once again how powerless I am? How I'm unable to do anything?"

She laughed, but there was no joviality in her voice. If anything, the sound screamed 'unhinged'.

"The opposite actually," Natsu replied quietly.

Mirajane didn't respond to his words. In fact, there was no indication that she had even heard his words at all. Instead, she continued to laugh, the sound growing increasingly bone-chilling. She spoke once more, but it was clear that she wasn't addressing him, or anyone else for that matter.

"But that's how it's always been, hasn't it? I was never strong to begin with. It was all a lie, just a way to convince myself that things would be alright." She laughed again. "But it will never be alright again. The world has no place for someone like me…"

Her quiet laughs slowly trailed off. The gentle pitter-patter of the rain and the sporadic booming of thunder were the only sounds to disturb the silence between them. She turned her face to the sky as if praying for deliverance. The rain ran down her face, merging with the tears that trailed from her eyes, filled with tormented images. Then her face twisted and she unleashed an ungodly scream.

The dark cloud surrounding Mirajane exploded outwards, enveloping all. The world grew dim, so much so that even the dazzling brilliance that flashed above appeared feeble. Shadows stirred and twisted, forming intangible shapes, suggestions of incorporeal existences. The Storm Elementals danced in response, their trilling voices raised in fear. Amidst it all, Mirajane writhed like a spider in its web.

Natsu shuddered and his skin crawled as if many unseen eyes were fixing him with an unwavering stare. He felt the presence of something, or rather many 'somethings' lurking somewhere, yet his eyes detected no indication of other people nearby. But as the shadows around Mirajane continued to swirl, he saw patches of a deeper darkness within the gloom, forming into vaguely humanoid shapes. Shapes that gradually drew closer to Mirajane. One quick look using his Dragonsense told him all he needed to know about their sinister nature.

He gasped. "Mirajane, look out!"

Even as he cried out to her, his legs blurred into motion. He darted towards her, his entire body feeling as if it was about to fall to pieces under the strain. But he didn't care- if he could push his body further, he would have. Anything to get to Mirajane quicker, to save her from the shadowy, undulating limbs that were on the brink of entangling her.

"Get away from her!" he roared, before unleashing a wide-spread lightning blast, driving the demons back. He collided with Mirajane, tackling her to the ground. The shadows tried to swoop in again, but Nastu repelled them by releasing an electric field that surrounded the two of them. Mirajane fearfully squirmed out from underneath him and turned to run once more, so he leapt on her back and pinned her to the floor.

"Keep your head down, idiot." he hissed in her ear.

"Let go of me!"

"No way! If I do that, your new friends will probably kill you."

"What?"

Natsu loosened his grip on Mirajane slight, just enough that she could move a little easier. "Look up."

Still lying prone in the dirt, Mirajane turned her head towards the sky above. She gasped, finally seeing the phantasmal beings that circled above their heads. Even as she watched them, their form began to change, revealing substance where there had been nothing but shadows. The creatures resembled humans in terms of shape, but they all possessed body parts from numerous other species, creating entities unlike anything else that walked the Earth. Huge fangs, tentacles, twisted limbs with reversed joints, the only common factor that each creature shared was that they looked like something out of a nightmare.

"Oh my god! What are they?" Mirajane asked.

"Isn't it obvious? They're demons."

Mirajane flinched at his use of the word. "Demons? Why? Why are they here?"

"If I had to guess, it's 'cause of you. Probably felt your magic and your dark emotions and it drew them here. I heard they're supposed to be sensitive to stuff like that."

"No… _no no no no…_" Mirajane babbled. She drew in a shaky breath. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"What do you think? Gonna have to fight 'em."

"_What?! _Are you insane?"

Natsu chuckled. "Some people might say that… not that I agree with 'em. Anyway, what are you worried about? All you gotta do is use that magic of yours. You watch my back and I'll watch yours."

Mirajane didn't seem too reassured by his words, but she nodded none-the-less. Then her gaze slid past his face and up to the sky, her eyes widening.

"Natsu…" she whispered. "I'm not sure what those things are doing, but I don't think it's anything good."

Following her line of sight, he saw something rather concerning. The demons continued to circle above them, but while they had been almost docile before, now they whirled around as they worked into a frenzy. In perfect synchronisation, they left the encirclement, spreading throughout the clearing.

'_Why?'_ Natsu thought. The demons had had them completely hemmed it and at their mercy. What did they have to gain be relinquishing their advantage? As he considered the meaning behind their actions, his thoughts were interrupted by a panicked chirping. A Storm Elemental flitted around erratically, pursued by one of the flying demons. The usually placid creature seemed petrified and was doing its utmost to escape. In the end, the demon proved to be the faster of the two. The shadowy creature caught up to the unfortunate elemental and engulfed it. In the midst of the demon's phantom body, the elemental thrashed around ineffectively. It's feeble attempts lessened until it fell still, a darkness starting to creep into its form, like ink seeping into paper. The shadowy form of the demon started to shrink and the elemental started to transform, taking on some of the former's characteristic. After a few moments, only one creature remained of the two, which now no longer resembled either of the two creatures. Instead, its appearance was somewhere between the two. Looking around, it seemed that the other demons were in the process of doing the same thing.

Things had just turned from bad to worse.

Natsu inhaled sharply and climbed to his feet. "Get up, quickly."

Mirajane started to comply, but nowhere near as quickly as he would've liked. "Do you know-"

Before she even had the chance to finish her sentence, the demons dived towards them. Sparks flickered as they passed through the lightning barrier, but they shrugged off the effects of his magic, barely fazed by it. As one, they released a widespread lightning blast that decimated the surrounding area. The sheer power behind the attack was so great, that Natsu couldn't confidently say he would have emerged unharmed if he'd taken it head-on, even with his resistance to lightning. In this case, it was rather fortunate that he hadn't- the moment the demons had made their move, he'd turned to shove Mirajane as hard as he could, before leaping in the same direction. As it was, he was merely caught by the outskirts of the attack. The lightning washed over him, dancing across his skin. As expected, it did next to no harm, yet there was a distinct tinge of… _something else_ infused with it. Something darker, reminiscent of the magic Mirajane had used on him earlier, albeit a lot weaker.

Shielding Mirajane from the demons, Natsu turned to face their adversaries, two balls of fire igniting in his palms, which he threw toward the phantom creatures. Streaking through the air, the fireballs blasted through two of the demons, which should have proved to be fatal. However, it soon became apparent that it wasn't enough to kill them when their phantom bodies began to reform.

Okay, on to plan two. Focusing on the nearest creature, Natsu opened his mouth and inhaled, willing the lightning within it to come to him. The thing flickered momentarily as he attempted to devour it, the familiar feeling of magic rushing into his body. Yet, the magic was not pure. The demon's essence tainted the magic, twisting it into something vile. He nearly emptied the contents of his stomach right then and there, but after he abandoned his attempts to devour the hybrid creature, the feeling receded somewhat.

Still reeling from the sickness, he barely raised his arms in time to block a series of smaller lightning strikes. Okay… now for plan three.

"Natsu!"

"Mirajane! I'm going to need your help! I don't think I can kill these things."

"Huh? Then what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"You're gonna have to fight 'em instead."

"WHAT?!" Mirajane squawked, dancing around to avoid a few stray attacks that made it past Natsu's guard. "Aren't you a lot more qualified to do that?"

"Listen, I think the demons used Take-Over magic on the storm elementals. _**Don't**_ ask-" he said, seeing that she was about to interrupt. "They're like little lightning sprites. They're invisible and don't have a proper body. It makes them hard to kill, but they're friendly, so it's normally not a problem unless you annoy them."

"Friendly?! They're trying to kill us!"

"Well yeah, but it's 'cause the demons are controlling them. Now they've got their own magic, plus the elemental's magic too. Their magic doesn't work all that well on me because of my lightning resistance and my magic won't work on them either 'cause they're basically spirits. But there's no reason why your magic shouldn't work on 'em. Only you can do this."

There was a small pause. "I… I don't think I can-"

"You _can _do this," he interrupted. "You've got all the power you need. You just need to use it."

"But I know nothing about fighting-"

"Then I'll protect you. I'll be your shield, if that's what you need. Just focus on taking these things out and I'll handle the rest."

Mirajane's breath caught in her throat. Damn it, that almost sounded like he was flirting with her. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words, but at least he was earnest about his intentions to support her. Maybe those few words would be enough… to let her know she could trust him.

As he waited expectantly for her answer, he continued to fend off the demon's attacks. Despite his resistance to the lightning itself, he was starting to feel drained by the effects of the demon's magic. If one considered this a battle, then it was one of attrition, one which he was slowly losing. If things continued as they were, then it was only a matter of time before he would fall down from exhaustion… and he would never be able to get up again. He didn't even entertain the thought of fleeing and abandoning Mirajane to her fate, so he could only pray that she would come to.

The sound of a gentle footfall. The swish of a cloak as it brushed up against its wearer's legs. A cool hand slipped into his.

"Okay, I'll trust you," Mirajane said quietly. "Now what do we do?"

"First, we need to change the battlefield," Natsu replied. Keeping a tight grip on Mirajane's hand, he ran across the rocky ground. He had to steady Mirajane several times, but miraculously she managed to stay on her feet. Even as he ran, Natsu scoured the area with his eyes.

"C'mon, c'mon, there's gotta be somewhere… ha!"

In the more-or-less open clearing, there were a few rocky outcroppings. Most of them were quite small, but there was one that was large enough for his purposes. Still dragging Mirajane behind him, he ran up to the giant rock, pushing Mirajane towards a slight hollow in the rock. Then he turned to face the demons, using his own body to cover Mirajane as well. With the rock at her back and Natsu at her front, it would be next to impossible for the demons to get to her.

"Alright, here's the fun part," he said. "You've gotta work out a way to take those things out."

"Hmph, I can certainly give it a go. But first…"

That was all the warning he got before Mirajane pressed herself up against his back.

"W-woah, what are you doing?!"

"You said you'd be my shield, didn't you? I want to be doubly sure that those things won't hit me, is all," Mirajane responded in a wicked tone.

"UGH! Fine." Natsu knew better than to argue. Instead, he made himself as large a target as possible, the demon's attacks once again starting to rain down on him. "But I can't stand here doing this all night, so you gotta pull your weight."

"Of course," Mirajane agreed. "Now, how do I do that?"

"I don't know, it's your magic!"

"I've only just started using it, I don't know anything about it either!"

"Then _improvise_."

She sighed and muttered something along the lines of 'Some help you are'. But even so, she lifted her right arm, pointing at one of the demons over his shoulder, even as she continued to use him as cover. She clutched the back of Natsu's shirt tightly as she attempted to focus both her mind and her magic. Natsu himself was a little too preoccupied to turn around, but he imagined that if were to do so at that moment, he would be greeted by the sight of her face screwed up in concentration. He waited tensely for what seemed like forever, but then, just as he was about to concede that his gamble had failed, his skin began to crawl. Mirajane's outstretched arm started to glow with a flickering purple light, the trademark symbol of her branch of magic. The light steadily grew more intense, the flickering giving way to a persistent glow. Then, the build-up of energy shot forward, forming a projectile that flew through the air, accompanied by another loud boom. The bolt of energy struck one of the demons as it turned lazily mid-air. For a mere fraction of a second, the pitiful creature seemed surprised at this strange turn of events, before it shrivelled up and disappeared.

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered. His glee soared even higher when the demon failed to re materialise within a few seconds as it had previously. "Just like that, keep going!"

"Obviously, you don't need to tell me." The slight lilt to her words suggested the presence of self-satisfied smirk on her face.

Mirajane turned her gaze to the remaining demons, with something approaching a feral glint in her eyes. Just as she did before, she focused her mind and took aim. It took her a few seconds to gather her magic together, but as she'd already managed it once, it didn't take her as long the second time. Another bolt of energy streaked through the night and another demon vanished without a trace.

Natsu couldn't help but think things were going rather well. True, things had looked rather grim at first, but the tables had turned in their favour now. He still had plenty of energy left, despite the constant drain of the demon's attacks and now that Mirajane was thinning their numbers, things would be over before they knew it. Still, he wasn't exactly happy to leave the majority of the work to Mirajane, who between the two of them was the least experienced.

'_How am I supposed to help though?' _he thought. His earlier attempts at fighting the demons hadn't worked so well, but surely there was something he could do at least. Perhaps it was time for some experimenting of his own.

Natsu turned his mind inward, his mundane senses fading somewhat as he did. He attuned himself to what lay beneath, that which he felt so distantly all around him, but within him also. The energy that resided inside all things, great and small, whether good or evil. He felt it in the earth, the air, inside the person behind him that even now he chose to protect and in his foes gathered before him. That energy took many forms, some familiar and some alien, but regardless, the air radiated with it. For the most part, he couldn't so much as touch that energy- controlling that energy was beyond his skills. But in the midst of the storm that still raged, everything was charged with electricity, the air practically pregnant with it. Even the demons before him were filled with that energy. He had tried to take that energy before, which had proven to be a poor decision, but maybe a different approach would work where the first one had failed.

In an act of will, he reached out to that energy, called it to himself. It was an imperious command that brooked no room for disagreement, there was no resisting his will. The demons lethargic dance slowed momentarily as he pulled their energy towards him.

If he couldn't devour that energy, then he would siphon it off… slowly, but surely. He would drain them of every last shred of power until there was nothing left.

Such was a dragon's way of waging war: take what you desire and let none defy you.

Having achieved what he'd set out to do, he let his state of meditation fall away, at which point the sound of Mirajane berating him reached his ears.

"Hey, pay attention, idiot! That last one almost hit me!"

Natsu muttered an apology that almost certainly went unheard, before turning his attention back to the task at hand. Mirajane fired off a few more shots, each one coming quicker than the last. The demons were fewer than they had been, only a dozen or so remained. Evidently, Mirajane had managed to pick off a few of them while he had been… _meditating_. But it seemed as if _they_ had started to realize that too. They started to change up their flight patterns, moving much quicker than before and more erratically too. Unable to predict their movements, Mirajane huffed in annoyance after she failed to hit her mark for the second time in a row.

"Are you even trying to hit 'em?"

"Shut up," Mirajane retorted. "As if anyone can hit these stupid things when they're flying like that."

"I guess. Kinda like trying to hit flies," he mused. He turned his head just enough to give her a sidelong glance. "You know how you deal with flies? You hit 'em with something they can't dodge."

She gave him a confused look that begged for an explanation, but rather than answer her question, he raised one arm to mirror her. His hand ignited into flame as he channelled his magic, but as he took aim at one of the demons, he gave the magic a little _twist_. A fiery bolt leapt forth, leaving a blazing trail as it flew through the air. His target saw through the attack, swerved to avoid it, causing the projectile to miss narrowly.

Fortunately, he had accounted for this. Just as the fireball passed the creature, he gave a mental command and the flux of unstable magic detonated, enveloping the demon in flame. It emerged a second later, barely singed by his flames, but at the end of the day, Natsu hadn't been expected to kill it.

"These things aren't fast enough to dodge a wide-area attack," Natsu explained, having delivered his demonstration. "Play around with your magic a little… maybe you can manage something like that."

Mirajane murmured an acknowledgement, before attempting to recreate his feat. She took a few seconds to focus her mind, fire off one shot, then a second, then a third, with mixed results. From the fourth shot onwards, she managed to achieve something that could be considered fairly successful and again, the demon's numbers began to thin as she continued to bombard them with deadly attacks. Now only half a dozen remained.

Natsu grinned triumphantly, confident that victory was within their grasp. Most of the demons had already fallen and those that remained looked sluggish and insignificant, weakened by his own constant draining of their energy. Curiously, their appearances had reverted somewhat to their previous form, prior to merging with the elementals.

All of a sudden, he sensed a change within their demons. Their movements faltered for a mere second, before synchronising with each other. Then, as one, they dived towards himself and Mirajane. Without a moment's thought, Natsu stepped forward to challenge them, fire blazing around him in a raging inferno. But the demons didn't meet his challenge, rather, they streamed right past him…

Stunned, Natsu failed to realise his mistake until it was too late. Kicking himself for not seeing through the ploy, he turned around, only to see the demons rush Mirajane. She completely disappeared from his sight as the demons swarmed her and started contorting into a single deformed mass, swallowing her whole.

"Mirajane!" Natsu screamed, drove his hands into the mound of flesh, digging deep. But his delving hands met nothing but the pudgy sensation of the demon's semi-corporeal body. No matter how much he wailed, begged, _pleaded_, Mirajane remained out of reach. Briefly, he contemplated blasting the demons away with his magic, before realising that he was more likely to harm Mirajane than help her. Overcome with his feelings of helplessness, he relinquished the last spark of hope within him.

It seemed as if the demons revelled in his despair. The undulating body before him looked as if it was dancing, taunting him. He could only imagine what horrible things were happening to Mirajane inside. A ripple passed across the monstrosity's skin, it's entire body shuddering violently. Suddenly, the mass expanded and separated back into the individuals that had formed it. The demons wriggled, as if trying to extricate themselves, yet it appeared that something wouldn't let them. Some unknown force pulled them inward, denying their escape. As Natsu watched in disbelief, the demons began to wither before his very eyes and eventually vanished into wisps of shadow. Even those fine slivers of their remains dissipated, at which point, he saw what had become of young Mirajane. Somehow, it seemed as if she had gone through another transformation, becoming almost unrecognisable from the person she had been before.

Her right forearm looked exactly as it had before, but now the rest of her body had taken on a similarly demonic appearance. Her once pale skin had turned dark and withered away, giving her an emaciated look more suitable to a corpse than a living being. Dark hair splayed out behind her, an unkempt mane that was black as night, yet flickered with purple highlights when the light caught it a certain way. Her upper body with covered in scales that glistened with a metallic green sheen, while her lower half was clad in insectile plates. Her once form-fitting clothes were now ragged and hung loosely from her frame.

Mirajane stood still for the longest time but eventually turned, transfixing him with her inhuman gaze, soulless eyes staring. Dark as the void, those eyes lacked any trace of the emotion they had once held.

"Mirajane," Natsu said warily. "Are you alright?"

His body was tense, prepared to fight if need be. Unfortunately, he couldn't rule that out as a possibility.

The… _thing_ before him stared at him for several seconds, but eventually shook its head slowly by means of response.

"I've been better." Its voice was deeper than he'd expected and slightly gravelly, but it was still Mirajane's voice. She looked down at herself. "What just happened?"

"You tell me. Pretty sure you already know the answer."

She took a deep, shaky breath. "The demons… they tried to possess me, didn't they? I couldn't… couldn't let them do it. So I fought back and I…"

"...Used Take-over on 'em instead," Natsu finished, finally relaxing. "Good thing you managed to use your magic, huh? Things mighta gone badly if you hadn't."

Mirajane snickered, more out of relief than amusement. Slowly, she shifted back to her human form, even her formerly-transformed right arm. The relief faded away, her face dropping. "Are you going to try and kill me again?" she asked.

"I wasn't tryin' ta kill you. Just wanted to open your eyes."

Mirajane slouched, her adrenaline levels dropping as he offered his assurance. "I see. You know, this doesn't change anything."

"Heh, I had a feeling that it wouldn't be enough to change your mind," he remarked bitterly. "But even if I helped you just a little bit, I guess that's enough. If you really want to leave, I won't stop you. It's your choice and you've gotta make it on your own."

With those words, he turned and made as if to leave.

"Wait a minute," Mirajane said. She stepped forward and he turned to face her. Abruptly, she swung, catching the side of his face with one fist. "There- that's for pulling that stunt earlier. Now we're even."

Natsu rubbed his face, already anticipating the bruise that would no doubt grace his face later on. "I guess that's fair."

'_It's more than fair,' _he thought. He turned to leave, for real this time, but paused as one last thought crossed his mind.

"I know that you think your magic somehow makes you… not human any more. But even after all that's happened today, I still don't think that."

"Oh? And why not?"

He shuffled his feet, as he tried to find the words to express his thoughts. "Dunno… guess I just feel that someone's magic doesn't make 'em good or bad. It just depends on what they do with it. I mean, even though we were fighting, in the end, you used your magic to protect yourself _and_ me. You used it for something good."

He glanced at her face quickly, seeing that she had a contemplative expression.

"But that's not just true when it comes ta magic… but other things people do too. People choose whether to be good or bad. I guess I just can't help thinking that what you're doing now isn't right. I know I haven't known you, Lisanna or Elfman that long, but even I know how much you care about each other. You've gotta know better than me just how much they love you… so why?" Suddenly, it became hard to speak. "Why would you do this to them?"

"...I-"

"You have every right to walk away," he interrupted, still looking away from her. "But I can't help but think that if you walk away now, knowing how much they need you… then you really will be a monster."

* * *

Natsu had left the scene some time ago, yet despite that, Mirajane continued to stand stock-still. Unable to move, barely able to breathe even, she agonised over his scathing parting words.

"_...if you walk away now, knowing how much they need you… then you really will be a monster."_

It was funny, really. The fact that the young dragonslayer would say such words was interesting. After all, had he not gone through such a thing with Igneel, whom he considered to be his father? Perhaps for that same reason, those words had hit her a lot harder than they would have otherwise. He knew what it was like to be abandoned by someone you cared for.

Consequently, Mirajane felt conflicted. On the one hand, so desperately wanted to stay. On the other, dark thoughts in her mind told her to take flight and leave it all behind. To leave the crippling burden that had fallen onto her shoulders, her fear of rejection, the uncertain feelings that threatened to tear her heart to pieces.

Natsu's words had held weight indeed, but Mirajane had already made her decision. It would take more than that to make her change her mind… this just made leaving all that much harder. But still, she gathered her resolve, prepared to take the first step towards her new life, whatever that may entail.

Raising her eyes to the horizon, she started to walk away from the place that she had almost, _almost_ started to think of as 'home'. But even as she walked away from everything that she cared about, something stopped her in her tracks.

A distant call, carried by the wind.

"_Miraaa! Wait up."_

It was a voice that Mirajane recognised, yet she wouldn't have expected to hear it here, of all places. She turned around and despite the darkness around her, she couldn't _not _recognise the figures that approached her at that moment. Running with reckless abandon, Lisanna and Elfman sprinted over to her, stumbling over the rocky ground.

Mirajane's brain fizzled out and ceased functioning as she attempted to comprehend what was going on. "Lisanna… Elfman…" she mumbled as they reached her. "What are you… wha-" Her eyes drifted past them, catching sight of Levy and Cana some distance away. The two young girls gave a small wave and smiled mysteriously, before stepping out of sight.

"Jeez, Mira! What were you thinking, running off when the weather's like this?" Lisanna chastised, pulling Mirajane's attention back. Her eyes grew wider as she noticed Mirajane's dishevelled state. "Oh my god, what happened to you?"

"I-"

"Never mind, we should go find somewhere safe."

Since Mirajane was still reeling from her siblings' unexpected arrival, Elfman and Lisanna managed to coax her into following them back down the road towards Magnolia, the two of them standing either side of her like sentinels. As they walked, Lisanna nattered about anything and everything, giving Mirajane no time to get a word in edgeways, while Elfman remained quiet, his gentle grip on her arm conveying just as much as words ever could. Eventually, Mirajane's head cleared enough for her to realise what they were doing- distracting her. Keeping her off-balance, in order to trick her into following them back to town. How crafty of them… times like this made her realise that she didn't give the two of them enough credit. Her little brother and sister were more grown-up than she'd thought…

Instead of resisting, she simply stopped walking. Lisanna ceased her chattering and Elfman let her arm slip from his grasp. The two of them turned back after taking a couple of steps as if this was something they'd expected. Not a single word passed their lips… they simply waited for her to speak.

"I… I can't go with you," Mirajane whispered quietly.

The two children… _two youths _rather, looked at her with a sad smile.

"Of course you can, big sis," Elfman said.

Lisanna nodded. "You're always welcome around us."

"No… you would be far better off if I wasn't around any more."

Lisanna laughed. "If that's meant to be a joke, it's a bad one."

"Yeah," Elfman echoed. "Sis, you protected us with your power when we needed you the most. We both feel bad that we never really told you how much it meant to us. But now, things are different… because we can always do the same for you, too."

"...What do you mean?" Mirajane asked, confused.

The two of them gave each other a smug, knowing look, before turning their attention back to her.

"We've been… working on something," Elfman said simply.

"Yeah, kinda like a project."

"If you can call practising a 'project'."

The two youngsters took a few steps back, striking a dramatic pose.

"Now, let us show you the result of our hard work!" Elfman exclaimed, Lisanna nodding along to his words. The two of them grew serious, their faces screwed up in concentration. Suddenly, a pulse of light emanated from the two of them, before dimming to a faint glow. The air around them eddied, making it appear as though space was bending around them. The light bloomed once again, so brightly that it was dazzling. And when the light finally faded away, Mirajane saw something that her mind struggled to accept.

Both of her siblings were… changed. Somehow, Lisanna had assumed the form of some sort of anthropomorphized cat, completely human in appearance, with the only exceptions being the addition of catlike ears and paws in place of her hands. Elfman, however, had undergone a far more dramatic change. Much like Mirajane's first transformation, his entire right arm had transformed, though in his case, it was that of a bear rather than a demon.

Mirajane gaped, disbelieving.

"They taught us these spells!" Elfman exclaimed.

"We both wanted to be more like you!" Lisanna confessed, her works hitting Mirajane in the heart like a physical blow. They would go this far, just for her sake? Did she really mean that much to them?

"I can only really make it work on one arm so far…"

"Cool, huh? I know you were feeling lonely before-"

"But now the three of us are just alike!" Elfman interrupted.

Mirajane wept openly now, unable to hold back the flood on emotions. "You're so sweet."

"We all have the same magic now."

"And it's super awesome!"

"Ready bro?"

"Oh yeah!"

The two of them concentrated once more, as they tried to return to their human forms. Unfortunately, when the light faded away, it appeared that they hadn't exactly been successful- Lisanna had instead transformed into a little piglet, while Elfman's arm had shifted to that of a giraffe.

"Ah! I think I messed up… I still need a lot more practice." Lisanna complained.

The two of them bemoaned their mutual slip-up as Mirajane looked on, still reeling from the unexpected demonstration. Abruptly, the gloom around her seemed to lighten, both figuratively _and _literally. She looked up to the sky, the faint glow of the moon greeting her, the clouds slowly parting as the storm around them came to an end. She stared in disbelief for a long moment, before bursting out laughing at the absurdity of it all. How could she possibly leave them now, after they'd done all this? Feeling lighter than she had in years, she howled at the moon, the drying tears on her cheeks already nothing more than a forgotten memory.

'_I was scared at first… I didn't want this power. But I will do whatever it takes to protect my family. And if that means I have to be a monster or a demon… then so be it.'_

Elfman and Lisanna looked at her in concern, bordering pure panic.

"I think she's lost it…" said Elfman to his little sister.

"Oh no!" Lisanna cried, grabbing hold of her older sister. "Snap out of it Mira, you can't go insane now!"

And so concludes the tale of how Mirajane decided to settle in Magnolia and dedicate herself to pursuing the path of wizardry. Content with the path she had chosen, she joined her siblings in returning to the dorms for the night, determined to start anew.

* * *

-March 16th X778-

* * *

"Erm… hi. I know I didn't give the best impression when I first got here, but I wanted to do things over."

It was morning, the day after Natsu and Mirajane's confrontation. As of that moment, the young lady in question was stood in the centre of the guildhall, surrounded by people, as she attempted to deliver the introduction that she had failed to give when she first arrived at the guild.

Natsu casually watched her from the bar as she bashfully reintroduced herself to the guild. Most likely she was remembering how she had acted previously and was feeling self-conscious about it. Even so, her earnest attempts to make amends seemed to be going well, as her reception was a lot warmer this time around.

"My full name is Mirajane Strauss… but if it's alright…" she started, fidgeting. "I'd really like it if you all called me 'Mira' instead."

She shuffled on the spot nervously, but relief washed over her as the people around her erupted into cheers. Her eyes wandered, meeting Natsu's for a moment. She smiled gently, before stiffening and looking away in a huff. Welp, guess she hadn't forgotten about their fight yesterday.

A small smirk graced his lips and he turned his attention back to the drink he was nursing in his hand. As usual, his plan had done just the job… even if things had gone a little differently than he'd expected.

"Hey kid," said Evie, the bartender from the night before. "What's with that mark on your face? Looks like you got hit by a sledgehammer."

"...Nothing much. Just an accident."

Some stories were better kept as secrets.

The young bartender gave him a disbelieving look, shrugged and walked off to serve another customer. Sighing to himself, he brushed one hand against his tender cheek, before forcing thoughts of Mira and demons from his mind, in favour of savouring his drink and new-found peace. Now that the issue had been resolved, he could relax, as surely things would be a lot calmer going forward.

Right?

* * *

**And there we have it, one more chapter down. Not long now until we break the 100k words threshold for this story, how about that? As always, hope you enjoyed reading it.**

**I kinda had to make up some additional backstory for Mirajane is this chapter, because I was trying to make sense of the severe personality changes that she goes through. So essentially my way of interpreting it was, her rebellious teenager stage was her branching out and exploring her own identity, while prior to her parents passing, she acted as the perfect child in order to get their approval. Or something along those lines anyway. Believe it or not, coming up with the little poem to summarise all her personality traits was more difficult than writing pretty much anything else in this chapter.**

**Now, as for the things I said I wanted to talk about. The first thing is regarding the idea of starting a new story. I've noticed over time that it's gradually gotten a little harder to write this story- the words just don't seem to come as easily as they used to and I feel like I've fallen into a trap of writing repetitively, you know? Like it's not as fresh as it should be. And I think it's because I've been solely focused on this one story. Soooo, I'd like to start a second story and write it alongside this one, as I feel like alternating between the two will help me avoid falling into a mental rut.  
I've gotten it into my head that I'd like to start a crossover story for Fate Stay/Night and the Percy Jackson books. I started reading a story by hahy4040 that explored this concept and I quickly found myself really interested in the idea. The writer put the story on a hiatus for a while as they weren't sure what direction they wanted to go, which was why I wanted to write my own version. However, they've actually started a new version that hopefully, they'll continue. It's called 'The Hero Remastered' if anyone is interested.**

**If anyone has any other ideas for stories that they'd like to see me write instead, drop a review or PM me and I'll have a look into it. I don't even mind taking a look at new fandoms that I'm unfamiliar with if there are some potentially interesting story ideas there.**

**The second thing I want to mention is, I've now set up a P.A.T.R.E.O.N. page for anyone who wants to support me in writing this story as well as others. Don't worry, there's no obligation to donate if you want to continue reading and I'm not going to continually shove it on your faces either. But if it is something you're interested in, the link to my creator page is at the bottom of my profile, so feel free to check it out. Donations start from as little as $1, so it's not something that's gonna break the bank or anything, plus donators receive a few perks depending on which donation tier they select.**

**Right, I think that's everything from me. As always, thanks for reading, please consider dropping a review to let me know what you liked/disliked etc. Until next time. Ciao!**


End file.
